Exam-style question
Try this first
Which expression correctly calculates the relative error when actualValue is the actual value and storedValue is the value stored by the computer?.
- A.actualValue + storedValue
- B.|actualValue - storedValue| / actualValue
- C.actualValue / |actualValue - storedValue|
- D.|actualValue - storedValue| × actualValue
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- |actualValue - storedValue| / actualValue
Explanation
Why this works
First find the absolute error using the magnitude of the difference, then divide it by the actual value to obtain the relative error.
Common mistake
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