Question

What is the percent error in estimating the height of a giraffe to be 18 feet when the actual height is 16 feet?

Answer 1

To calculate the percent error in estimating the height of a giraffe, we can use the formula for percent error:

\[
\text{Percent Error} = \left( \frac{|\text{Estimated Value} - \text{Actual Value}|}{\text{Actual Value}} \right) \times 100
\]

In this case, the estimated height of the giraffe is 18 feet and the actual height is 16 feet.

1. Calculate the absolute error:
\[
|\text{Estimated Value} - \text{Actual Value}| = |18 - 16| = 2 \text{ feet}
\]

2. Use the actual value to find the percent error:
\[
\text{Percent Error} = \left( \frac{2}{16} \right) \times 100
\]

3. Calculate the fraction:
\[
\frac{2}{16} = 0.125
\]

4. Convert it to a percentage:
\[
0.125 \times 100 = 12.5\%
\]

Thus, the percent error in estimating the height of the giraffe is \( \boxed{12.5\%} \).