Percent Error Calculator

Compare a measured value to the true value as a percentage error.

Percent error (%) 0.1019

Formula: error = |measured − true| ÷ |true| × 100

Step-by-step with your numbers:

1. Values used:

2. Measured value = 9.8

3. True value = 9.81

5. Percent error = 0.1019%

Did we solve your problem today?

Quantify how far an experimental measurement is from the accepted/true value.

The math behind it

percent error = |measured − true| ÷ |true| × 100. Smaller is more accurate.

Measured 9.8 vs true 9.81 → |9.8 − 9.81| ÷ 9.81 × 100 = 0.10%.

Can percent error be negative?

By the absolute-value definition, no — it reports magnitude only.