A positive answer indicates a percent increase, and a negative answer indicates a percent decrease.
Read below to learn more.
Great question! Here’s a chart of some common words associated with initial and final value:
Initial Value
from
start (with)
at first, originally
were, was
used to be
Final Value
to
end (with)
now
are, is
changed to
Keep in mind that there are many other words that could be used.
Read below to learn more.
The Percent Change Equation
When you go shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you’ll probably see coupons like “50% off select items!” or “25% off your entire order!” You might find yourself wondering, what do these mean exactly?
The coupons in the GIF above are examples of percent change. Any time we have a number that changes, we can use the percent change formula below to determine how big that change was.
The following fraction gives us what portion of the initial value changed in decimal form:
initialfinal−initial
We know we need to multiply decimals by 100 to change them to percents, so the percent change formula is equal to:
Check out our Percent Change Calculator below for examples of different ways we can use the percent change formula to solve for percent change, final value, and initial value:
Percent Change Calculator
What is your unknown variable?
First, let’s identify our known and unknown variables for the problem you entered:
To isolate x, we’ll multiply both sides by then divide both sides by 100
×=(−)×100×100×=100(−)×100undefined=−
Let’s simplify the left side before continuing:
Now we can add x to both sides:
Next, let’s factor and combine our x terms:
Click the 🏆 when you’re ready to see the answer!
If you want a more thorough explanation of each section, check out the lessons below. The more 🔥 the section has, the harder it will be, but we’re positive you can handle the heat! When you’re ready to level up, click the mysterious button at the bottom to explore some real-world applications of percent change!
Ready to level up?
Percent Change in Voter Turnout
Percent increase and decrease tell us how things change, and in the real world, they are often used to determine the effects of certain policies. For example, voting is an important part of any democracy. Even if you can’t vote, the results of elections can affect how much medicine costs, how much you get paid, and even what classes your school teaches.
Because voting is so powerful sometimes, politicians who fear losing power create unfair policies and practices that prevent certain people from voting. This is often referred to as voter suppression. Using percent increase and decrease can help us determine the effects of voter suppression.
Let's look at this data from Michael McDonald, a political science professor at the University of Florida. We’ve rounded the numbers a little, but the table below shows the number of Black voters (in thousands) that voted early during the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections in four different states:
State
Early Voters in 2012 (thousands)
Early Voters in 2016 (thousands)
Florida
760
777
Georgia
636
660
Louisiana
118
140
North Carolina
754
688
Which of these states had a decrease in early voter turnout between 2012 and 2016?
That’s exactly right! Of these four states, North Carolina was the only one whose early voter turnout decreased.
In 2013, North Carolina passed a Voter ID law that required stricter voter ID, removed certain voting locations, and made early voting periods shorter. The law was struck down just before the 2016 presidential election, but many suspected it would still affect voter turnout.
To see the effects of the Voter ID Law, let’s calculate the percent change for the number of early Black voters in North Carolina:
=
( - ) ×100
Amazing job! Our initial number was 754, and our final was 688. Now we just need to perform the calculations. Click the 🏆 when you’re ready to reveal the answer
The number of Black voters who voted during the early voting period in North Carolina decreased by8.7% between the 2012 and 2016 elections. According to the ACLU, in North Carolina, about 70% of Black voters voted early in 2008 and 2012, so the 2013 law would have had the largest effect on Black voters in the state.
Looking at the table, we can see that the number of Black voters who voted early increased in the other three states between 2012 and 2016. Since Florida, Louisiana, and Georgia did not change their early voting laws during this time, this data might lead us to believe that the 2013 law led to voter suppression in North Carolina.
Why does voter suppression exist?
The United States has a long history of voter suppression. By preventing certain groups of people from voting, lawmakers can ensure certain candidates continue winning elections. BIPOC individuals, women, people with disabilities, and people of lower-income are among those most likely to be affected by voter suppression.
Unfortunately, the Voter ID Law in North Carolina is just one example of a voter suppression law, and unlike in North Carolina, many of these laws are still in place today.
Determining the effects these laws have on voters can be important in changing them. For example, in the case of North Carolina, the Voter ID Law was struck down after data showed it targeted Black voters with "surgical precision."
Combatting voter suppression can be difficult, but there are ways to help even if you can’t vote yet. For example, you can work with local organizations that help others register to vote. Some states even allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work at the polls on Election Day. You can also help by creating posters telling others how to vote, volunteering to babysit for neighbors so they have time to vote, making sure your family is registered to vote, and more.
You can visit the ACLU to learn more about voter suppression and different ways to combat it.
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