1. What Is Error Percentage?

Error percentage is a mathematical measure that quantifies the difference between an experimental or measured value and a theoretical or actual value, expressed as a percentage of the actual value. It helps assess the accuracy of measurements and calculations.

2. How Does The Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the error percentage formula:

Where:

• \( Value1 \) — Experimental or measured value
• \( Value2 \) — Theoretical or actual value
• \( Value1 - Value2 \) — Absolute error
• \( \frac{(Value1 - Value2)}{Value2} \) — Relative error

Explanation: The formula calculates the relative error between two values and converts it to a percentage by multiplying by 100.

3. Importance Of Error Percentage Calculation

Details: Error percentage is crucial in scientific experiments, quality control, engineering, and data analysis to evaluate measurement accuracy, identify systematic errors, and validate experimental results against theoretical expectations.

4. Using The Calculator

Tips: Enter Value 1 (experimental/measured value) and Value 2 (theoretical/actual value). Value 2 cannot be zero. The calculator will compute the error percentage automatically.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a positive error percentage indicate?
A: A positive error percentage means the experimental value is greater than the actual value (overestimation), while a negative percentage indicates underestimation.

Q2: What is considered an acceptable error percentage?
A: Acceptable error percentage varies by field. In many scientific applications, errors below 5% are considered good, while in engineering, tolerances may be stricter.

Q3: How is error percentage different from percent difference?
A: Error percentage compares to a known actual value, while percent difference compares two experimental values without assuming which is correct.

Q4: Can error percentage be greater than 100%?
A: Yes, if the experimental value is more than double the actual value, the error percentage can exceed 100%.

Q5: What if Value 2 is zero?
A: The calculation is undefined when Value 2 is zero, as division by zero is mathematically impossible. Use absolute error instead in such cases.