Math Calculators

Percent Error Calculator

Calculate the percent error between an experimental (measured) value and the theoretical (true) value.

Percent error —

Absolute error —

About the Percent Error Calculator

Percent error measures how far a measured or experimental value is from the accepted "true" value, expressed as a percentage of the true value. It's a standard way to report accuracy in science labs.

Formula: Percent Error = |Experimental − Theoretical| ÷ |Theoretical| × 100

A smaller percent error indicates a more accurate measurement. Unlike percentage difference, percent error always treats one value as the known, correct reference point.