1. What is a Percent Difference Calculator?

Definition: This calculator determines the relative difference between two values as a percentage of their average.

Purpose: It's commonly used in scientific experiments, data analysis, and quality control to compare two measured values.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

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

Explanation: The absolute difference between values is divided by their average and multiplied by 100 to get a percentage.

3. Importance of Percent Difference

Details: Percent difference provides a standardized way to compare discrepancies regardless of the measurement scale, making it valuable for:

• Comparing experimental results to theoretical values
• Assessing measurement reproducibility
• Evaluating changes over time

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter any two numerical values (positive or negative). The calculator will determine what percentage the difference between them is relative to their average.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between percent difference and percent change?
A: Percent change compares a new value to an old value, while percent difference compares two values without designating one as reference.

Q2: Can I use this with negative numbers?
A: Yes, the formula works with both positive and negative values.

Q3: What does a 0% result mean?
A: It means the two values are identical (no difference).

Q4: What's considered a "good" percent difference?
A: This depends on your field and application. In some fields <5% is excellent, while others may tolerate up to 20%.

Q5: Why use average in the denominator instead of one of the values?
A: Using the average makes the calculation symmetric - swapping A and B gives the same result.