Percentage Calculator
Use this versatile calculator to perform various percentage-related computations, including finding a percentage of a number, calculating percentage change, determining the whole from a percentage, and finding the percentage difference between two values.
Result:
Understanding Percentage Calculations
Percentages are a fundamental part of mathematics, used to express a fraction of a whole as a number out of 100. The word "percent" comes from the Latin "per centum," meaning "by the hundred." They are widely used in various fields, from finance and statistics to everyday situations like discounts and growth rates.
Types of Percentage Calculations
Our calculator handles several common percentage calculations:
1. What is X% of Y?
This calculation determines a specific portion of a given number. For example, if you want to find out what 20% of 150 is, this is the calculation you'd use. The formula is: (X / 100) * Y.
Example: If you want to find 15% of 200:
- Value 1 (X): Not directly used for this calculation type, but can be thought of as the percentage value.
- Value 2 (Y): 200
- Percentage (%): 15
- Calculation: (15 / 100) * 200 = 30
- Result: 15% of 200 is 30.
2. Percentage Change (Increase/Decrease)
This calculates the percentage increase or decrease between two values. It's commonly used to track growth, inflation, or price changes. The formula is: ((New Value - Original Value) / Original Value) * 100.
Example: A product's price increased from $50 to $60.
- Value 1 (Original Value): 50
- Value 2 (New Value): 60
- Percentage (%): Not used for input.
- Calculation: ((60 – 50) / 50) * 100 = (10 / 50) * 100 = 0.2 * 100 = 20%
- Result: A 20% increase.
Example: Sales decreased from 1000 units to 800 units.
- Value 1 (Original Value): 1000
- Value 2 (New Value): 800
- Percentage (%): Not used for input.
- Calculation: ((800 – 1000) / 1000) * 100 = (-200 / 1000) * 100 = -0.2 * 100 = -20%
- Result: A 20% decrease.
3. Find the Whole (If X is Y% of Z)
This calculation helps you find the total (the whole) when you know a part of it and what percentage that part represents. The formula is: (Part / Percentage) * 100.
Example: If 30 is 25% of a number, what is that number?
- Value 1 (Part X): 30
- Value 2 (Z): Not used for input, this is what we're solving for.
- Percentage (% Y): 25
- Calculation: (30 / 25) * 100 = 1.2 * 100 = 120
- Result: 30 is 25% of 120.
4. Percentage Difference
This calculates the percentage difference between two numbers relative to their average. It's useful when neither number is clearly the "original" or "new" value, and you want to express the difference symmetrically. The formula is: (|Value 1 - Value 2| / ((Value 1 + Value 2) / 2)) * 100.
Example: What is the percentage difference between 80 and 120?
- Value 1: 80
- Value 2: 120
- Percentage (%): Not used for input.
- Calculation: (|80 – 120| / ((80 + 120) / 2)) * 100 = (40 / (200 / 2)) * 100 = (40 / 100) * 100 = 40%
- Result: The percentage difference between 80 and 120 is 40%.
Understanding these different applications of percentages allows for more accurate analysis and decision-making in various contexts.