Teresa estimates that the height of a giraffe 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. Be sure to show all your work, provide your answer as a percentage, and round your answer to the nearest tenth.

Question

put 7th grader

Answer 1

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

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

1. Identify the values:

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

2. Calculate the difference: \[ \text{Difference} = \text{Estimated Value} - \text{Actual Value} = 18 - 16 = 2 \text{ feet} \]

3. Calculate the percent error: \[ \text{Percent Error} = \left( \frac{2 \text{ feet}}{16 \text{ feet}} \right) \times 100 \]

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

5. Convert to a percentage: \[ 0.125 \times 100 = 12.5 \]

6. Final answer: Teresa’s percent error is 12.5%.

So, rounding to the nearest tenth, Teresa's percent error is 12.5%.