1. What is Percent Error in Physics?

Definition: Percent error measures how inaccurate a measurement is, compared to the true or accepted value.

Purpose: It quantifies the difference between experimental and theoretical values as a percentage of the accepted value.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• Measured — The experimentally determined value
• Accepted — The theoretically correct or standard value

Key Points:

• The absolute value ensures the error is always positive
• Multiplication by 100 converts the fraction to a percentage

3. Importance of Percent Error Calculation

Details: Percent error helps:

• Evaluate experimental accuracy
• Compare different measurement techniques
• Identify systematic errors in experiments
• Assess the reliability of results

4. Using the Calculator

Tips:

• Enter both measured and accepted values
• Accepted value cannot be zero (division by zero)
• Results show 6 decimal places for precision

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's considered a good percent error?
A: It depends on the field, but generally under 5% is good, under 1% is excellent.

Q2: Can percent error be negative?
A: No, the absolute value makes it always positive.

Q3: What if my accepted value is zero?
A: Percent error is undefined when accepted value is zero.

Q4: How is this different from percent difference?
A: Percent difference compares two experimental values, while percent error compares to a standard.

Q5: Should I use significant figures in the result?
A: Yes, round your final answer to match your least precise measurement.