Question

A cat welghs 10 pounds. What is the error in the measurement?

5%

1%

2%

Answer 1

5%

Explanation:

Assuming the measurement is rounded to the nearest pound, there is the potential for the reported value to differ by 1/2 pound from the measured value. The precision of the measurement is thus ...

(0.5 lb)/(10.0 lb) = 5/100 = 5%

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Unless we know the cat's actual weight, we cannot determine the error in the measurement. If the cat actually weighs 10 pounds, the error is 0%.