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t [ -[]ie
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I4trhen we measure, we are sometimes limited by the accuracy of the tools we have
or by the accuracy of the person who is actually measuring. The enor is the ab-
solute value of the difference between the two values. The percent of error is the
ratio of the eror to the true value, written as a percent:

Error = lactual measure - observed measurel

lrcfual measu-re meas x 100
-
I

CITOT observed
Percent of error = x 100
achlal measu.re "r

MODEL PROBTEMS
1 Our bathroom scales are often inaccurate. We go to the doctor for a checkup and find a discrepanry.
If you get a reading of 113 pounds on your bathroom scale and a reading of 111 pounds on the doc-
tor's scale, what is the percerrt of error?
$sttJTlsN

Percent of eror : x 100

Itrt -- ttel :
111 .2-
111
- 0.01801801802 - -t
.Blvo

2 Using the bathroom scale above, Chris weighed L50 pounds. What was his actual weight to the near-
est pound?

$oluTroN

From tlre model problem abovg we know that thF percent error is approximgtely 1..80%.

, percent
of error - lactual measrile : observed measurel
x 1oo
act'al measnre
t rrat
1.80 : lar - 1501
x 100 Multipty both.sides by zr
w

/P-
'7b +E x 1oo
: 't.Bow

We know w - 150is negative. Therefore 150 - ar is positive and lar - 1501 :150 - w.

100(150) 100(zp) : 7.8Aw

15,000 - !.80w
lAAw
*]$Aat - *100ru
15,000 _ tffiAyt
101.90 ryr.fa
7I) - 747.34n07 Rounded to the nearest pound, w - 147 pounds.

ft42 Ghapter O: Ratio ,ond Proportion

I
 *tr14 i*u:.L-*,t

gravity w3s found to be 9.5 meters per second

9 A census of the popuration undercounted a
particular qo:p py zvo. The numb", oi;;"-
squSred, The accepted acceleration of graviry
ple recorded foi this group was 2,g67. Tc the
to this degree of accuracy is g.g metlrs per nearest whole numbet how many members
second squared. I4rhat * the approximate
of this group should have been retorded?
percent of error?
(1) 96.9Vo
L0 An odometer measures the distance a vehicle
(2) 3..'!,6Vo travels-, The odometer on Eric's car read
(3) 3.06Vo 65,48a miles before he left Long Island.
wi;;
(4) 7.A3Vo he arrived at his cousin's hou-se in oru"g*
Counfy, his odometer read 65,s;65 miles. Tte
Exercises 2 and 3: A car odometer measured trtp diltance was actualtl 9O;iils. on a oip
the from New york city to Arbany his odom*i*,
speed at 55 ryph when the actual speed was
:g's display changed from 66/4so rnites to 66,62a
**Ph. miles. Assu*Tg that. the odometer is always
L Tio the nearest tenth of a percent, what is the h"o.r.ect by
of errgr for this odorneter? _the same percentage, how far
,"*{ercent did he actualty travel?
i
.!'-'--
r 3 If the actual speed was 45 mph, what rvould
t'"--trne LL Hany was stopped on the New York State
odom€ter read? Thruway for dfving at an excessive speed.
The officer's radar,recorder indicated a speed
of 80 Tph. Har{r claimed that altho"gh he
45 kilosrams when the actual weight is S0 was
grams
kilo- .drjving too fast, his speedoireter
recorded a speed of T0 miles pei hour. If
,/.*t"i*\ the
{" n p the nearest hundredth of a percent, what radar has a margin of erro. of -F3 mph, what
\v*# rs the percent
of error for this siale? is the minimur percent of error Hurry=
speedometer? "f
grams, what is the Jctual weight to the ;;r_ Exercises 72-15: The
t**perature of Maddy,s
oven is always off by the
,..1.r.uFt
u"'
:i'*qtr.
.;.
iame percent of error.
6
,r'

tt"dent rneasured the volume of a 2-liter She must set the oven temperature to
{.' A 400o when
t-****r'Container to be 2.? liters. What was the per- she uses a that calls for roasting at BTS'.
1ecip9
cent of error of the student's measurement Finish the chart for Maddy so that she can
---.:- to easily
the nearest
-
hundredth? convert from recrqe temperature to display"e
oven temperature. Round all temperatures
7 A scientist found the density of a metal to be nearest 5 degrees.
to-the
2-35 sam$ /cm'. The accepied varue
for the
densi? ir Z.S9 grams/cm3. IrVhat is the per_ Desired
temperaturb , Madd/s oven . '',.,, ,
' ' ,

l',f'"'i\
nearest tenth? '
12 325
r,
?-8"-
8
Ght"u stud.ents measured the densi* of a
so- L3 350
!-**Fution in a science lab. Their average value ,\FIF

was l.T?s_ g/mL. The accepted varue is 5/J

1'_.09T g,/ n*. I4lhat is the 14 4AA
percent of enor in
the sfudent's measure to the nearest
tenth? 1s 425

Pe,rcent of Error $49