1. What is Percent Error?

Percent error is a measure of how inaccurate a measurement is, compared to the true or accepted value. It's commonly used in chemistry and other sciences to quantify the difference between experimental and accepted values.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percent error formula:

Where:

• Experimental Value — The measured value from your experiment
• Accepted Value — The known or theoretical value

Explanation: The absolute value ensures the error is always positive, and multiplying by 100 converts it to a percentage.

3. Importance of Percent Error Calculation

Details: Percent error helps scientists evaluate the accuracy of experimental results, compare different measurement techniques, and identify potential sources of error in experiments.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both experimental and accepted values. The accepted value cannot be zero (division by zero is undefined). Values can be positive or negative.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a good percent error?
A: This depends on the experiment, but generally <5% is excellent, 5-10% is good, and >10% may indicate significant experimental errors.

Q2: Can percent error be negative?
A: No, we use absolute value to ensure it's always positive. The direction of error is indicated by whether experimental > accepted.

Q3: How is percent error different from percent difference?
A: Percent error compares to an accepted value, while percent difference compares two experimental values.

Q4: What causes high percent error?
A: Measurement errors, equipment limitations, human error, or flawed experimental design can all contribute.

Q5: Should I worry about small percent errors?
A: Small errors are normal, but systematic errors (always high/low) should be investigated even if the percent is small.