1. What is a Percent Change Calculator?

Definition: This calculator determines the percentage change between two values, showing how much a quantity has increased or decreased relative to its original value.

Purpose: It's widely used in finance, statistics, science, and business to analyze growth rates, performance changes, and comparative measurements.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( Change \) — Difference between new and original values
• \( Original \) — Starting or base value

Explanation: The change is divided by the original value and multiplied by 100 to express the result as a percentage.

3. Importance of Percent Change Calculation

Details: Percent change standardizes comparisons between different magnitudes, allowing meaningful analysis of growth or decline across different scales.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the change value (can be positive or negative) and the original value (must be non-zero). The result shows the percentage increase or decrease.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a negative percent change mean?
A: A negative result indicates a decrease from the original value, while positive indicates an increase.

Q2: Why can't the original value be zero?
A: Division by zero is undefined in mathematics, making percent change calculation impossible when original value is zero.

Q3: How is this different from percentage difference?
A: Percent change compares a new value to an original, while percentage difference compares any two values without reference to which is original.

Q4: What are common applications of percent change?
A: Stock price changes, population growth rates, sales performance, scientific measurements, and inflation calculations.

Q5: How should I interpret a 100% change?
A: A 100% increase means the value has doubled, while a 100% decrease means it has gone to zero.