1. What is Percent Change?

Percent change measures the relative difference between an old value and a new value, expressed as a percentage. It's commonly used to track changes over time in various fields including finance, economics, and statistics.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percent change formula:

Where:

• \( New \) — The new or current value
• \( Old \) — The original or previous value

Explanation: The formula calculates the relative difference between two values by dividing the absolute change by the original value and multiplying by 100 to get a percentage.

3. Importance of Percent Change Calculation

Details: Percent change is crucial for analyzing trends, measuring growth or decline, comparing data over time, and making informed decisions in business, finance, and research.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values. The old value cannot be zero (division by zero is undefined). Values can be positive or negative numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a positive percent change indicate?
A: A positive percent change indicates an increase from the old value to the new value.

Q2: What does a negative percent change indicate?
A: A negative percent change indicates a decrease from the old value to the new value.

Q3: Can I calculate percent change with negative numbers?
A: Yes, the formula works with negative numbers, but the interpretation may be different depending on the context.

Q4: What if the old value is zero?
A: Percent change is undefined when the old value is zero because division by zero is mathematically undefined.

Q5: How is percent change different from percentage points?
A: Percent change measures relative change, while percentage points measure absolute difference between two percentages.