Percent Error Calculator

Calculate the relative difference between the real value and the observed value

Percent error definition

We may attempt to estimate the value of a quantity by taking many measurements. By calculating the period of free fall from a certain height, we may figure out the gravitational acceleration.

The difference between an observed and a true or accepted value is measured in percentage error. When analyzing data, the final output frequently differs from the real value. The error can occur for various causes, including human error, but also due to estimates and limits of the instruments employed in the measurement.

Regardless, calculating the percentage inaccuracy might be useful in situations like these. First, the absolute error, which is just the difference between the observed and actual value, is used to calculate the percentage error. The relative error is then multiplied by 100 to get the percentage error, which is obtained by dividing the absolute error by the real value.

How to calculate percent error?

We’ll look at a basic example to help you better grasp what percent error is. Let’s pretend we’re figuring out how much of a difference between the measured and genuine sound speed.

Find out what the true value of sound speed is. It’s 343 m/s in the air at 20°C.

Take an accurate measurement. You discovered that it was 329 m/s.

Take the observed value and subtract it from the real value = 14 m/s = 343 – 329 m/s. The absolute inaccuracy is 14 m/s.

Divide the correct number by the percent error to get the percent error, percentage mistake = 14 / 343 x 100% = 4.082 percent

The relative error, often known as the percent error, equals 4.082 percent.