Percent error says how far a measurement missed by, as a share of the true value. These free printable worksheets give the actual and measured amounts and ask for that percent — every answer a whole number.
If they get stuck
The answer key prints on a separate page.
The reliable mistake is dividing by the wrong number, so the two are always named. The gap between measured and actual is divided by the ACTUAL value — the true one — not by the measurement that missed. A child who divides by the measured value gets a close-but-wrong answer every time, which is exactly why the sheet labels which is which on every question.
Two steps, in order. First the size of the gap, with the sign thrown away, because a reading three below the true value is as wrong as one three above — |measured − actual|. Then that gap as a percent of the actual value. Written out, the second step is a percent-of-a-number in reverse, which is the skill the sheet leans on.
The true value is 420, but it was measured as 441.
