1. What is Percent Change?

Percent change measures the relative difference between an old value and a new value, expressed as a percentage. It shows how much a quantity has increased or decreased compared to its original value.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percent change formula:

Where:

• New Value — The current or updated measurement
• Old Value — The original or previous measurement

Explanation: The formula calculates the difference between the new and old values, divides by the old value to get a relative change, then converts to a percentage by multiplying by 100.

3. Importance of Percent Change Calculation

Details: Percent change is widely used in finance, economics, science, and everyday life to compare changes over time, assess growth rates, and analyze trends.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values. The old value cannot be zero (division by zero is undefined). Positive results indicate increase, negative results indicate decrease.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a positive vs negative percent change mean?
A: Positive means increase, negative means decrease. A 0% change means no difference between values.

Q2: Why can't the old value be zero?
A: Division by zero is mathematically undefined. You cannot calculate percentage change from zero.

Q3: How is percent change different from percentage points?
A: Percent change is relative to the original value. Percentage points measure absolute difference between percentages.

Q4: What are common applications of percent change?
A: Stock price changes, population growth rates, inflation measurements, scientific experiment results comparison.

Q5: How should I interpret a 100% increase?
A: A 100% increase means the new value is double the old value (100% of original added to original).