How to Find the Difference in Percentages
Understanding how to find the difference in percentages is a crucial skill in various fields, from finance to statistics. Whether you’re analyzing sales figures, comparing survey results, or just curious about how two percentages differ, this guide will help you navigate the process with ease.
To find the difference in percentages, follow these simple steps:
1. Convert the percentages to their decimal form. To do this, divide the percentage by 100. For example, 20% becomes 0.20, and 35% becomes 0.35.
2. Subtract the smaller percentage from the larger percentage. In our example, if we have 35% and 20%, we would subtract 0.20 from 0.35.
3. The result is the difference in percentages. In this case, the difference is 0.15, or 15%.
It’s important to note that the difference in percentages is not the same as the percentage change. The percentage change considers the magnitude of the change relative to the original value, while the difference in percentages simply shows how much one percentage is greater or less than another.
Let’s look at a few more examples to solidify this concept:
Example 1:
You have a class of 40 students, and 20% of them are boys. What percentage of the class are girls?
Solution:
First, convert the percentage of boys to decimal form: 20% = 0.20.
Next, find the number of boys: 40 students 0.20 = 8 boys.
To find the number of girls, subtract the number of boys from the total number of students: 40 – 8 = 32 girls.
Finally, calculate the percentage of girls: (32 girls / 40 students) 100 = 80%.
The difference in percentages is 80% – 20% = 60%.
Example 2:
A company’s sales increased from 30% to 40% over a year. What is the percentage change in sales?
Solution:
First, convert the percentages to decimal form: 30% = 0.30, and 40% = 0.40.
Next, find the difference in percentages: 0.40 – 0.30 = 0.10, or 10%.
The percentage change in sales is 10%.
By following these steps, you can easily find the difference in percentages and apply this skill to various real-life scenarios. Remember to always double-check your calculations and ensure that you’re comparing like percentages to get accurate results.
