1. What is a Percent Error Calculator?

Definition: This calculator determines the percentage difference between a measured experimental value and an accepted reference value.

Purpose: It helps students and researchers quantify the accuracy of experimental measurements in scientific experiments.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• Measured — The value obtained from experiment
• Accepted — The theoretical or known reference value

Explanation: The absolute difference between measured and accepted values is divided by the accepted value, then multiplied by 100 to get percentage.

3. Importance of Percent Error Calculation

Details: Percent error helps evaluate experimental accuracy, identify measurement problems, and compare results across different experiments.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both measured and accepted values. The accepted value cannot be zero (division by zero is undefined).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a high percent error indicate?
A: High percent error suggests significant deviation from expected results, possibly due to measurement errors or flawed methodology.

Q2: Is a 0% error possible?
A: Perfect 0% error is rare but indicates exact match between measured and accepted values.

Q3: How does percent error differ from percent difference?
A: Percent error compares to a known value, while percent difference compares two experimental values.

Q4: What's considered a "good" percent error?
A: This depends on the field, but generally <5% is good, <1% is excellent for most undergraduate experiments.

Q5: Why use absolute value in the formula?
A: Absolute value ensures the error is always positive, focusing on magnitude rather than direction of deviation.