1. What is Percentage Difference?

Percentage difference measures the relative difference between two values expressed as a percentage. It's useful for comparing two quantities when there is no clear reference value.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage difference formula:

Where:

• \( A \) — First value (reference value)
• \( B \) — Second value to compare
• \( |A - B| \) — Absolute difference between A and B

Explanation: The formula calculates how much B differs from A as a percentage of A.

3. When to Use Percentage Difference

Details: Percentage difference is commonly used in scientific experiments, quality control, financial analysis, and any situation where you need to compare two values relative to one of them.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both values (A and B). Value A cannot be zero as division by zero is undefined. The result shows how much B differs from A as a percentage of A.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between percentage difference and percentage change?
A: Percentage change compares a new value to an old value (showing increase/decrease), while percentage difference compares any two values without time context.

Q2: Can the result be negative?
A: No, because we use absolute value in the numerator. The result is always positive or zero.

Q3: What does a 0% difference mean?
A: It means the two values are identical (A = B).

Q4: How is this different from percentage error?
A: Percentage error compares an experimental value to a known theoretical value, while percentage difference compares any two values symmetrically.

Q5: What's a significant percentage difference?
A: This depends on your context. In some fields 1% might be significant, while in others even 10% might be acceptable.