Question

In science class, Paula estimates the volume of a sample to be 23 mL. The actual volume of the sample is 28 mL. Find the percent error of Paula’s estimate. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.

Answer 1

Paula's percent error is calculated by dividing the difference in her estimate and the actual volume by the actual volume and then multiplying by 100. After rounding, the percent error is 17.9%.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the percent error of Paula's estimate, we first find the difference between the estimated volume and the actual volume. Then, we divide this difference by the actual volume and multiply the result by 100 to get the percent error.

The difference between Paula's estimate and the actual volume is:
Actual volume - Estimated volume = 28 mL - 23 mL = 5 mL

Next, we divide this difference by the actual volume:
5 mL / 28 mL ≈ 0.1786

Finally, to find the percent error, we multiply by 100:
0.1786 × 100 ≈ 17.86%

After rounding to the nearest tenth, the percent error of Paula's estimate is 17.9%.