Error Calculator
Calculate absolute error, relative error, and percentage error between an experimental value and a true value.
Published by:
isCalculator Editorial Team
Reviewed by:
Review Board
Last Updated:
Was this calculator helpful?
How to use this tool?
How to Use the Error Calculator
- Enter the True Value — the accepted or correct value (e.g., 100).
- Enter the Experimental Value — your measured or observed value (e.g., 105).
- Click "Calculate Errors" — the calculator will compute three error metrics.
What You Get:
- Absolute Error — the absolute difference: |Experimental − True|.
- Relative Error — absolute error divided by the absolute true value.
- Percentage Error — relative error multiplied by 100%.
Important Notes:
- Both values must be numbers (decimals allowed).
- The true value cannot be zero (division by zero is not allowed).
- No specific units required — works with any measurement system (metric, imperial, etc.).
Previous Results
| Result | Inputs | Date |
|---|
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolute error is the absolute difference between the experimental value and the true value: |experimental - true|.
Relative error is the absolute error divided by the absolute true value, often expressed as a decimal.
No, if the true value is zero, the relative and percentage errors are undefined because division by zero is not allowed.
