1. What is a Percentage Difference Calculator?

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

Purpose: It's useful for comparing measurements, experimental results, or any two quantities where you want to understand their relative difference.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( A \) — First value
• \( B \) — Second value
• The vertical bars \( | \) indicate absolute value

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

3. Importance of Percentage Difference

Details: Percentage difference provides a standardized way to compare differences regardless of the magnitude of the values being compared.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter any two numerical values (positive or negative). The calculator will show their percentage difference. Both values cannot be zero.

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 any two values symmetrically.

Q2: Can I compare negative numbers?
A: Yes, the calculator works with both positive and negative values.

Q3: What if both values are zero?
A: The calculation is undefined (division by zero), so the calculator won't return a result.

Q4: What does a 0% difference mean?
A: It means the two values are identical.

Q5: What's considered a "significant" difference?
A: This depends on your context - in some fields 5% might be significant, while in others only 50%+ matters.