Percentage calculator
Relative Error Calculator
Relative error compares the size of an absolute error with a reference or accepted value. It expresses error as a ratio rather than as a percentage.
Relative error
0.02
Relative error is a ratio, not a percentage.
Formula
|Measured − Reference| / |Reference|Step-by-step calculation
- 1
Find the absolute difference between measured and reference values.
- 2
Find the absolute value of the reference.
- 3
Divide the absolute difference by the absolute reference value.
Formula
Relative Error = |Measured Value − Reference Value| ÷ |Reference Value|
How to calculate it
- Subtract the reference value from the measured value.
- Take the absolute value of the difference.
- Divide by the absolute reference value.
A measurement is 48 when the reference is 50
Values: Absolute error = |48 − 50| = 2.
Result: Relative error = 2 ÷ 50 = 0.04.
Frequently asked questions
Is relative error a percentage?
Relative error is a ratio. Multiply it by 100 to express the same quantity as percentage error.
Why use the absolute value?
The absolute value measures the magnitude of the error without treating an overestimate and underestimate as opposite magnitudes.
What if the reference value is zero?
Relative error is undefined when the reference value is zero because the formula would divide by zero.