Question

An experimental calculation of the boiling point of olive oil yields 550°F. The actual boiling point of olive oil is 570°F. A. Use the values in the box below to set up a proportion which can be used to find the percent of error in the experimental calculation. B. Calculate the percent of error to the nearest tenth of a percent

Answer 1

$\begin{gathered} Let \\ M=Measured_{\text{ }}value \\ T=True_{\text{ }}value \\ P=Percent_{\text{ }}error \end{gathered}$

So, we can find the percent of error using the following proportion:

$\begin{gathered} \frac{P}{|M-T|}=\frac{100}{T} \\ so\colon \\ \frac{P}{|550-570|}=\frac{100}{570} \\ \frac{P}{20}=\frac{100}{570} \end{gathered}$