Which of the following describes percent difference?

The correct choice accurately defines percent difference as the absolute change in value divided by the average of the two numbers. When calculating percent difference, the focus is on determining how much two values differ from each other relative to their average. This method provides a standardized way to express the difference, regardless of the scale of the values involved.

To compute the percent difference, you first find the absolute change, which is the absolute value of the difference between the two numbers. Then, you take the average of those two numbers as the reference point for the comparison. This approach allows for a meaningful comparison because it normalizes the difference by considering the size of the values involved, leading to a percentage that reflects the relationship between the two rather than focusing solely on one of the values.

Understanding this concept is especially important in fields involving data analysis, as it helps to quantify differences in a relative manner, which can be more informative than simply showing a raw difference.