Question

A chemist is estimating the volume of a solution in a test tube. The actual volume of the solution is
33.2ml
. The chemist's estimate is
35ml
.
Find the absolute error and the percent error of the chemist's estimate. If necessary, round your answers to the nearest tenth.

Answer 1

the absolute error is:
actual - estimate = 33.2 - 35 = -2.8
that in percent can be found using a rule of three, we say that 33.2 is the 100%, and we find the % for 2.8
33.2 ml -------> 100%
  2.8 ml -------> x
x =(2.8)(100)/33.2
x = 8.4
then the percent error is 8.4%