Question

Mark and Matthew signed up to walk in a 5k walk/run. They predict it will take them 60 minutes to complete the race. Mark and Matthew finished the race in 53 minutes. What is the percent error? Round to the nearest tenth.

Answer 1

To find the percent error, you can use the formula:

\[
\text{Percent Error} = \left( \frac{\text{Absolute Error}}{\text{Theoretical Value}} \right) \times 100
\]

Where:
- Absolute Error = \( \text{Theoretical Value} - \text{Measured Value} \)

In this case:
- Theoretical Value (predicted time) = 60 minutes
- Measured Value (actual time) = 53 minutes

First, calculate the Absolute Error:

\[
\text{Absolute Error} = 60 - 53 = 7 \text{ minutes}
\]

Now, plug the values into the percent error formula:

\[
\text{Percent Error} = \left( \frac{7}{60} \right) \times 100
\]

Calculating this:

\[
\text{Percent Error} = \left( 0.1167 \right) \times 100 \approx 11.67
\]

Rounding to the nearest tenth:

\[
\text{Percent Error} \approx 11.7\%
\]

Thus, the percent error is **11.7%**.