Percent Error Calculator
How far off your measurement is from the accepted value.
Percent error
1.631%
Signed: -1.631% (measurement low)
Absolute error: 0.160000
Formula: |measured − actual| ÷ |actual| × 100
Standard percent error from intro chemistry and physics labs. Use the absolute version for assignments. The signed version tells you whether your measurement was high or low, which is useful for spotting systematic error.
About
Enter the accepted (theoretical) value and your measured (experimental) value. Get the percent error and signed deviation. Standard for chemistry and physics labs.
How to use
- Enter the accepted value.
- Enter your measured value.
- Read percent error.
FAQ
Why does the formula use absolute value?+
Most lab assignments report unsigned percent error, so high and low measurements look the same. The signed version (also shown) tells you the direction of the error.