Percentage Change Formula:
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Definition: This calculator determines the percentage change between an old price and a new price.
Purpose: It helps investors, shoppers, and business owners understand price fluctuations in percentages rather than absolute dollar amounts.
The calculator uses the formula:
Where:
Explanation: The difference between prices is divided by the original price to get the relative change, then multiplied by 100 to convert to percentage.
Details: Percentage changes provide a standardized way to compare price movements across different products, investments, or time periods regardless of their absolute price levels.
Tips: Enter both old and new prices in dollars. The old price must be greater than zero. Positive results indicate price increases, negative results indicate decreases.
Q1: What does a negative percentage mean?
A: A negative percentage indicates the price has decreased from the old price to the new price.
Q2: Why use percentage instead of dollar amount?
A: Percentages allow for comparison between items of different price points (e.g., a $1 increase on a $10 item vs. a $100 item).
Q3: What if my old price was zero?
A: The calculation is undefined when old price is zero, as you cannot divide by zero.
Q4: How is this different from percentage difference?
A: Percentage change compares two values over time, while percentage difference compares two values at the same time.
Q5: Can I use this for investment returns?
A: Yes, this is the fundamental calculation for determining investment returns based on price changes.