document.write( "Question 1101548: the top of a table is a regular hexagon . each side of the hexagon measures 50.0 centimeters. find the maximum percentage error in calculating the perimeter of the top of the table? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #716159 by Edwin McCravy(20056)\"\" \"About 
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document.write( "50.0 centimeters means that the side was rounded to the nearest \r\n" );
document.write( "tenth of a centimeter.  Therefore the side could have been as long \r\n" );
document.write( "as 50.04999999999 cm or as short as 49.95 centimeters.  Either way, \r\n" );
document.write( "rounded to tenths it would have been 50.0 centimeters.  \r\n" );
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document.write( "It is only necessary to calculate the percentage error when the\r\n" );
document.write( "error was due to rounding up.  But let's see why that is the case. \r\n" );
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document.write( "In the first case the error would have been 50.04999999999-50.0 =\r\n" );
document.write( "0.04999999999 and the fraction error would have been\r\n" );
document.write( "0.04999999999/50.04999999999 and the decimal error would be \r\n" );
document.write( "0.0009999001 and the percent error would be 0.0999999%  \r\n" );
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document.write( "In the second case, the error would have been 50.0-49.95 = 0.05 \r\n" );
document.write( "centimeters, and the fraction error would have been 0.05/49.95\r\n" );
document.write( "and the decimal error would be 0.001001... and the percent error\r\n" );
document.write( "would be 0.1001001...%,  or 0.1%\r\n" );
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document.write( "So you see, it is only necessary to calculate the percentage error \r\n" );
document.write( "when the error was due to rounding up.  That's because the percentage\r\n" );
document.write( "error is slightly more when the error is due to rounding up than\r\n" );
document.write( "when it is due to rounding down, and we want the maximum possible\r\n" );
document.write( "percentage error.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin
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