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.
The percent error can be calculated using the formula:
Percent Error = (| Estimated Value - Actual Value | / Actual Value) * 100
In this case:
Estimated Value = 18
Actual Value = 16
Using the formula, we get:
Percent Error = (| 18 - 16 | / 16) * 100
Percent Error = (| 2 | / 16) * 100
Percent Error = (2 / 16) * 100
Percent Error = 0.125 * 100
Percent Error = 12.5
Therefore, Teresa's percent error is approximately 12.5%.