Percent of Change Formula:
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Definition: This calculator determines the percentage change between two values, showing how much something has increased or decreased relative to its original value.
Purpose: It's widely used in finance, economics, science, and everyday life to measure growth rates, price changes, performance improvements, and more.
The calculator uses the formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates what percentage the change represents compared to the original value.
Details: Percent change standardizes comparisons between different magnitudes, allowing meaningful analysis of growth or decline regardless of the original size.
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.
Q1: What does a negative percentage mean?
A: A negative percentage indicates a decrease from the original value, while positive means an increase.
Q2: Why can't the original value be zero?
A: Division by zero is mathematically undefined, so the original value must be non-zero.
Q3: How is this different from percentage difference?
A: Percent change compares a change to the original value, while percentage difference compares two values without designating one as original.
Q4: What are common applications?
A: Stock price changes, sales growth, population changes, experimental results comparison, and inflation rates.
Q5: How do I interpret a 100% change?
A: A 100% increase means the value doubled, while 100% decrease means it went to zero.