1. What is Percentage Change?

Percentage change measures the degree of change over time and is expressed as a percentage. It's used to compare an old value to a new value, showing how much a value has increased or decreased.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the percentage change formula:

Where:

• \( \text{Number1} \) — Initial value (baseline)
• \( \text{Number2} \) — New value

Explanation: The formula calculates the difference between the two numbers relative to the original number, converted to a percentage.

3. Importance of Percentage Change

Details: Percentage change is widely used in finance, economics, statistics, and many scientific fields to measure growth rates, price changes, performance improvements, and other comparative metrics.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both numbers (Number1 as the original value, Number2 as the new value). The calculator will show the percentage increase or decrease. Note that division by zero is undefined.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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

Q2: Why can't I calculate percentage change when the original value is zero?
A: Mathematically, division by zero is undefined. You need a non-zero baseline to calculate percentage change.

Q3: How is percentage change different from percentage difference?
A: Percentage change compares a new value to an old value, while percentage difference compares two values without considering which is the reference.

Q4: Can percentage change be more than 100%?
A: Yes, if the new value is more than double the original value, the percentage increase will exceed 100%.

Q5: How do I interpret a percentage decrease?
A: For example, a -20% change means the new value is 20% less than the original value (80% of the original).