For an experiment on specific heat capacities of metal in physics, I am trying to calculate my percent error but am having some trouble.
After collecting my experimental data for c (cal/g) for the object that was used which was aluminum my results are:
trial 1 = .19
trial 2 = .22
trial 3 = .26
Average = .22
Then I have to calculate the deviation for each one:
Trial 1 = -.03
Trial 2 = 0
Trial 3 = 0.04
Average = 0.005
The accepted value for aluminum is 0.22 so I took [0.005 - .22] / .22 = 97.7%. I did not think that my error would be this high. Did I make a mistake somewhere?
Thank you for your help!
Please disregard. I figured out my mistake.
To calculate percent error, you need to determine the difference between your experimental value and the accepted value, and then divide that difference by the accepted value. The formula for percent error is:
Percent Error = [(Experimental Value - Accepted Value) / Accepted Value] x 100
In your case, you calculated your percent error as (0.005 - 0.22) / 0.22 = -0.205 / 0.22 = -0.93. However, it seems like there was a mistake in your calculation.
To accurately calculate your percent error, let's go through the steps again:
1. Calculate the mean or average of your trial values:
Average = (0.19 + 0.22 + 0.26) / 3 = 0.2233
2. Calculate the deviation for each trial by subtracting the average from each trial value:
Deviation for Trial 1 = 0.19 - 0.2233 = -0.0333
Deviation for Trial 2 = 0.22 - 0.2233 = -0.0033
Deviation for Trial 3 = 0.26 - 0.2233 = 0.0367
3. Calculate the average deviation by adding the deviations and dividing by the number of trials:
Average Deviation = (-0.0333 - 0.0033 + 0.0367) / 3 = 0
4. Now, calculate the percent error using the correct formula:
Percent Error = (Average Deviation / Accepted Value) x 100
Percent Error = (0 / 0.22) x 100 = 0%
Thus, your percent error should be 0%, indicating that your experimental value is the same as the accepted value. If you obtained a percent error of 97.7%, there might have been a mistake in your calculations or data input. Please double-check your calculations to verify the correct result.