Math
Percent Error Calculator
Compare an observed value to a true value and get percent error plus absolute error.
Inputs
Percent Error Calculator
Result
Percent error
1.0204%
- Absolute error
- 0.1
- Signed error
- -0.1
How it's calculated
Percent error = |observed − true| / |true| × 100%.
Common questions
Is percent error the same as percent change?
No. Percent error compares a measurement to a known correct value; percent change compares any two values without a “right” answer.
Why divide by the true value?
So the error scales with the accepted magnitude — a 1-unit miss means very different things at 10 vs. 10,000.
Related calculators
Math
Percentage Calculator
What is X% of Y, X is what % of Y, and percentage change — all in one place.
Math
Percent Change Calculator
Percentage increase or decrease between two numbers.
Math
Average Calculator
Mean, sum, count, min, max, and geometric mean for any list of numbers.
Math
Fraction Calculator
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide two fractions and simplify the result.