Question

You estimate that the driving distance from Raleigh, NC to Charlotte, NC is around 180 miles. When you looked it up on the internet, you found that the actual distance is only 167.5 miles. What was the relative (percent) error of your estimate? In other words, how far off were you from the actual value?

Answer 1

7.5%

Explanation:

Approximate distance = 180 miles

Actual distance = 167.5 miles

Percent error = { (approximate value - actual value) / actual value } × 100

= { (180 - 167.5) / 167.5 } × 100

= (12.5 / 167.5) × 100

= 0.075 × 100

= 7.5%