1. What is Percentage Difference?

Definition: Percentage difference measures the relative difference between two values as a percentage of their average.

Purpose: It's used to compare two values where neither is clearly a reference or "correct" value.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( A \) — First value
• \( B \) — Second value
• \( |A - B| \) — Absolute difference between values
• \( \frac{A + B}{2} \) — Average of the two values

Explanation: The absolute difference is divided by the average of the two values, then multiplied by 100 to get a percentage.

3. Importance of Percentage Difference

Details: This calculation is widely used in scientific comparisons, quality control, financial analysis, and any situation where you need to compare two similar values.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter any two numerical values (positive or negative). The calculator will determine their percentage difference.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How is this different from percentage change?
A: Percentage change compares a new value to an old value, while percentage difference compares two equal-status values.

Q2: What does a 0% difference mean?
A: It means the two values are identical.

Q3: Can I compare negative numbers?
A: Yes, the calculator works with both positive and negative values.

Q4: What's the maximum percentage difference possible?
A: When comparing a value with zero, the percentage difference approaches 200%.

Q5: When should I use percentage difference vs. percentage error?
A: Use percentage difference when comparing two experimental values, and percentage error when comparing an experimental value to a known theoretical value.