Teresa estimates that the height of a gifaffe in a zoo is 18 feet. In fact it is 16 feet tall. What is teresa’s percent error? Use proportional relationships to solve the problem

Answer 1

To find Teresa's percent error, we can use the following formula for percent error:

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

In this case:

• Estimated Value = 18 feet
• Actual Value = 16 feet

1. First, calculate the difference between the estimated value and the actual value: \[ \text{Difference} = \text{Estimated Value} - \text{Actual Value} = 18 - 16 = 2 \text{ feet} \]

2. Now, plug the values into the percent error formula: \[ \text{Percent Error} = \left(\frac{2}{16}\right) \times 100 \]

3. Simplifying the fraction: \[ \frac{2}{16} = \frac{1}{8} \]

4. Now calculate: \[ \text{Percent Error} = \left(\frac{1}{8}\right) \times 100 = 12.5 \]

Therefore, Teresa's percent error in estimating the height of the giraffe is 12.5%.