In the process of calculating percent error, how is the error represented?

In calculating percent error, the error is represented as a percentage of the exact value, which reflects how much the measured value deviates from the accepted or true value. The formula for percent error is given by:

[

\text{Percent Error} = \left( \frac{\text{|Measured Value - Accepted Value|}}{\text{Accepted Value}} \right) \times 100%

]

This approach captures the relative size of the error in the context of the true value, providing a clearer understanding of the error's significance. By expressing the error as a percentage of the accepted value, it allows for easier comparison across different measurements or experiments, as it normalizes the error by context. This is particularly useful when the accepted value varies significantly in magnitude, ensuring that smaller deviations in larger measurements are properly contextualized.