Cambridge Physics PhD Tutor IB DSE IGCSE SAT

UC Math MA, HKU Chemist hinwahk@gmail.com

HKU 1st Hons Engineer 93197825 AP MCAT GCE

Value Approximation and Percentage Error Estimation

1) Approximate Value

△y
y' △ x

y dy
lim 
x 0 x dx

y dy
 when x is small
x
△x
x dx
dy
 y  x when x is small
dx
 y  y x when x is small
2) The following result is from calculus:
(1 x) r  1 r(x)

when x is less than 1 and r can be any real number. In fact, a more accurate result is :
r(r 1) r(r 1)(r  2) r(r 1)(r  2)(r  3)
(1 x) r  1 r(x)  (x) 2  (x) 3  (x) 4 .......
2! 3! 4!
In fact, if r is a positive integer, the formula becomes the famous binomial expansion.
3) fractional error can be calculated by taking natural logarithm and then differentiation.
 Cambridge Physics PhD Tutor IB DSE IGCSE SAT
UC Math MA, HKU Chemist hinwahk@gmail.com
HKU 1st Hons Engineer 93197825 AP MCAT GCE

Example 1
Prove the following using calculus.
(1 x) r  1 r(x)
when x is less than 1 and r can be any real number.
Solution :
Let

f (x)  x r , f (1)  1
f (x)  rx r1

y  f (1)x when x is small

y  r(1) x  rx
r1
x 1
f (1 x)  (1 x)  f (1)  y  1 rx
r

(1 x) r  1 rx

Example 2

3
Find the approximate value of (10001) without using calculator.
2

Solution 1:
Let

3
f (x)  x 2
1
3 2
f (x)  x
2
y  f (10000)x
1
3
y  (10000) 2 1 x  10000, x  1
2
y  150
3 3
(10001) 2  (10000) 2  y  1000000  150  1000150
Solution 2:
3 3 3 3

 (10001) 2  (10000) 2 (1.0001) 2  (1000000)(1 0.0001) 2

3
 (1000000)(1 0.0001)
2
 (1000000)(1 0.00015)
 1000150
3
Note: By calculator, (10001) 1000150.004
2




 Cambridge Physics PhD Tutor IB DSE IGCSE SAT
UC Math MA, HKU Chemist hinwahk@gmail.com
HKU 1st Hons Engineer 93197825 AP MCAT GCE

Example 3
2
Find the approximate value of (100002) without using calculator.
5

Solution 1:
Let

2
f (x)  x 5

3
2
f (x)  x 5
5
y  f (100000)x
3
2
y  (100000) 5 2 x  100000, x  2
5
2
y  (10)3 2  0.0008
5
2 2
(100002) 5  (100000) 5  y  100  0.0008  100.0008
Solution 2:
2 2 2 2

 (100002)  (100000) (1.00002)  100(1  0.00002)

5 5 5
5

2
 100(1  0.00002)
5
 100(1  0.000008)
 100.0008
2

Note: By calculator, (100002)  100.0008

5

Example 4
 
Find the approximate change of y= x + cos x when x increases from to (  0.01) radians
6 6
Solution:
y x  cos x
y  1 sinx 
y  y x
 
 (1 sin )0.01 when x  , x  0.01
6 6
 (1 0.5)0.01  0.005
Note: By calculator, the change is about + 0.004957


 Cambridge Physics PhD Tutor IB DSE IGCSE SAT
UC Math MA, HKU Chemist hinwahk@gmail.com
HKU 1st Hons Engineer 93197825 AP MCAT GCE

Example 5
The base radius and the height of a right circular cone are measured to be 20cm and 30cm respectively.
Find the percentage error in volume if
a) r is accurate but h has an error of 1%
b) h is accurate but r has an error of 2%
b) h has an error of 1% and r has an error of 2%
Solution:
r 2 h r 2 h
V V
3 3
Taking natural log : Taking the differentials :
r 2 h   
lnV  ln  ln  2ln r  ln h dV 
3
d(r 2 h) 
3
hd(r 2 )  r 2 dh
3 3
Taking the differentials : or 
 (h2rdr  r 2 dh)
3

d(lnV )  d(ln  2ln r  ln h) 
3 (h2rdr  r 2 dh)
dV 3
dV dr dh 
02  V r 2 h
V r h 3
dV dr dh
2  dV (h2rdr  r 2 dh)
V r h 
V r 2h
dV dr dh
2 
V r h

V r h
2 
V r h
 error of r)  % error of h
% error of V  2(%

a)
% error of V  2(% error
 of r)  % error of h
 2(0%)  1%  1%

b)
% error of V  2(% error of r)  % error of h
 2(2%)  0%  4%

c)
% error of V  2(% error of r)  % error of h
 2(2%)  1%  5%
 Cambridge Physics PhD Tutor IB DSE IGCSE SAT
UC Math MA, HKU Chemist hinwahk@gmail.com
HKU 1st Hons Engineer 93197825 AP MCAT GCE

Example 6
Differentials and Error Estimation

Tachykara, maker of volleyballs for USVBA, is required to make

volleyballs that are 10 cm in radius with an error no more than
r 0.05 cm. For a special event, the event director fills the
volleyballs with a mixture of regular air and helium. She only
has a small amount of the mixture and is concerned about the
error in volume. Find the maximum error in volume.

V = 4/3 πr³
dV = 4 πr²dr
dV = 4 π(10)²(0.05)
= 62.832 cm³ (maximum error in volume)

dV 4 πr²dr dr
----- = -------------- = 3 ----- Relative Error
V 4/3 πr³ r
 Cambridge Physics PhD Tutor IB DSE IGCSE SAT
UC Math MA, HKU Chemist hinwahk@gmail.com
HKU 1st Hons Engineer 93197825 AP MCAT GCE

Your Turn!
Q1 Find an approximate value of (1.001)2/3 using calculus.
What is the actual value?
What is the percentage error?
Q2 Using calculus, establish the very useful approximation formula

(1 + u )r ≈1 + ru

when the absolute value of u is very small compared to 1.

Q3 Use the result of Q1 to estimate the following values to 2 decimal places.
a) √68 b) √51
c) √78 d) (123)1/3
e) (8.32) 2/3 f) (33)-1/5
g) (17/81)1/4 h) (0.065)1/3
Q4 a) Without calculator, estimate the value of (8.32) 2/3 using calculus .
Use calculator, calculate to 4 decimal places :
b) the actual value of (8.32) 2/3.
c) the error in the estimation.
d) the percentage error in the estimation.
Q5 a) Without calculator, estimate the value of (8.032) 2/3 using calculus .
Use calculator, calculate to 6 decimal places :
b) the actual value of (8.032) 2/3.
c) the error in the estimation?
d) the percentage error in the estimation?
Q6 a) Without calculator, estimate the value of (32.032) 2/5 using calculus .
Use calculator, calculate to 5 decimal places :
b) the actual value of (32.032) 2/5.
c) the error in the estimation.
d) the percentage error in the estimation.
Q7 The side of a cube is measured to be 3 inches. If the measurement is correct to within 0.01 inches, use differentials
to estimate the propagated error in the volume of the cube.

A.  0.000001 in3 B.  0.06 in3 C.  0.027 in3

D.  0.27 in3 E.  0.006 in3

C
 Cambridge Physics PhD Tutor IB DSE IGCSE SAT
UC Math MA, HKU Chemist hinwahk@gmail.com
HKU 1st Hons Engineer 93197825 AP MCAT GCE

Q1 Given that d(logex)= dx/x, use chain rule to show that:

If V = kAaBb, then dV/V = a dA/A + b dB/B, where k, a and b are constants.
Q2 The volume V of a cone is πr2h/3.
The radius r is measured with a % error ∆r/r of at most 3% and
the height h is measured with a % error ∆h/h of at most 4%.
Estimate, using calculus, the maximum % error ∆V/V in the volume.
Q3 If the side of a cube is measured with a % error ∆s/s of at most 3%,
( use calculus to ) estimate the maximum % error ∆V/V in the volume.
Q4 The volume V of an ellipsoid is 4πabc/3;
where a, b, c are the lengths of the 3 axes.
a is measured with a % error ∆a/a of at most 3%,
b is measured with a % error ∆b/b of at most 4%,
c is measured with a % error ∆c/c of at most 5%.
Estimate, using calculus, the maximum % error ∆V/V in the volume.
Q5 The volume V of a torus is 2π2Rr2;
where R and r are the 2 radii.
R is measured with a % error ∆R/R of at most 0.3%,
r is measured with a % error ∆r/r of at most 0.4%.
Estimate, using calculus, the maximum % error ∆V/V in the volume.
Q6 The surface area S of a torus is 4π2Rr;
where R and r are the 2 radii.
R is measured with a % error ∆R/R of at most 0.3%,
r is measured with a % error ∆r/r of at most 0.4%.
Estimate, using calculus, the maximum % error ∆S/S in the surface area.