Percentage Calculator
Calculate percentages, increases, and decreases
Percentages are a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100. The word "percent" comes from the Latin "per centum," meaning "by the hundred." Understanding percentages is essential for many real-world applications, from calculating discounts and taxes to analyzing data and financial growth.
Basic Percentage Formulas
- Percentage of a number: (Percentage ÷ 100) × Number
- What percent: (Part ÷ Whole) × 100
- Percentage change: ((New Value - Old Value) ÷ Old Value) × 100
Common Uses of Percentages
Percentages are used in many areas of daily life, including calculating tips at restaurants, determining discounts during sales, analyzing test scores, measuring business growth, and understanding interest rates on loans and investments.
Tips for Working with Percentages
- Remember that 100% equals the whole amount
- To convert a decimal to a percentage, multiply by 100
- To convert a percentage to a decimal, divide by 100
- When calculating percentage increases, the result can exceed 100%
- Percentage decreases cannot exceed 100%
Real-World Applications
Understanding percentages helps in making informed financial decisions, comparing statistics, analyzing business performance, and solving everyday problems involving proportions and ratios.