Learn to Calculate Percent Change

Learn to Calculate Percent Change Percent increase and decrease are the two types of percent change, which is used to express the ratio of how an initial value compares to the result of a change in value. A percent decrease is a ratio that describes a decline in value of something by a specific rate, while a percent increase is a ratio that describes an increase in the value of something by a specific rate. The easiest way to determine whether a percent change is an increase or a decrease is to calculate the difference between the original value and the remaining value to find the change then divide the change by the original value and multiply the result by 100 to get a percentage. If the resulting number is positive, the change is a percent increase, but if it is negative, the change is a percent decrease. Percent change is highly useful in the real world, for example,  allowing you to calculate  the difference  in the  number of customers who come into  your store daily or to determine  how much money you’d save on a 20-percent-off sale. How to Calculate Percent Change   Suppose the original price for a bag of apples is $3. On Tuesday, the bag of apples sells for $1.80. What is the percent decrease? Note that you would not find the difference between $3 and $1.80 yielding and answer of $1.20, which is the difference in price. Instead, since the cost of the apples has decreased, use this formula to find the percent decrease: Percent decrease (Older – Newer) à · Older. (3 – 1.80) à · 3 .40 40 percent Note how you convert a decimal into a percent by moving the decimal point twice to the right and tacking on the word percent after that number. How to Use Percent Change to Alter Values In other situations, the percent decrease or increase is known, but the newer value is not. This may occur at department stores that are putting clothing on sale but don’t want to advertise the new price or on coupons for goods whose prices vary. Take, for example, a bargain store selling a laptop for $600, while an electronics store nearby promises to beat the price of any competitor by 20 percent. You would clearly want to choose the electronics store, but how much would you save? To calculate this, multiply the original number ($600) by the percent change (0.20) to get the amount discounted ($120). To figure out the new total, subtract the discount amount from the original number to see that you would only be spending $480 at the electronics store. In another example of altering a value, suppose a dress regularly sells for $150. A green tag, marked 40 percent off, is attached to the dress. Calculate the discount as follows: 0.40 x $150 $60 Calculate the sales price  by subtracting the amount you save from the original price: $150 - $60 $90 Exercises With Answers and Explanations Test your skills in finding percent change with the following examples: 1) You see a carton of ice cream that originally sold for $4 now selling for $3.50. Determine the percent change in the price. Original price: $4Current price: $3.50Percent decrease (Older – Newer) à · Older(4.00 - 3.50) à · 4.000.50 à · 4.00 .125 12.5 percent decrease So the  percent decrease is  12.5 percent. 2) You walk to the dairy section and see that the price of a bag of shredded cheese has been reduced from $2.50 to $1.25. Calculate the percent change. Original price: $2.50Current price: $1.25Percent decrease (Older – Newer) à · Older(2.50 - 1.25) à · 2.501.25 à · 2.50 0.50 50 percent decrease So, you have a percent decrease of  50 percent. 3) Now, youre thirsty and see a special on bottled water. Three bottles that used to sell for $1 are now selling for $0.75. Determine the percent change. Original:   $1Current:   $0.75Percent decrease (Older – Newer) à · Older(1.00 - 0.75) à · 1.000.25 à · 1.00 .25 25 percent decrease You have a percent decrease of 25 percent. Youre feeling like a thrifty shopper, but you want to determine the altered values in your next three items. So, calculate the discount, in dollars, for the items in exercises four through six. 4.) A box of frozen fish sticks was $4. This week, it is discounted 33 percent off the original price. Discount: 33 percent x $4 0.33 x $4 $1.32 5.) A lemon pound cake originally cost $6. This week, it is discounted 20 percent off the original price. Discount: 20 percent x $6 0.20 x $6 $1.20 6.) A Halloween costume usually sells for $30. The discount rate is 60 percent. Discount: 60 percent x $30 0.60 x $30 $18

Profile of Switzerland

Profile of Switzerland Population: 7,623,438 (July 2010 estimate) Capital: Bern Land Area: 15,937 square miles (41,277 sq km) Bordering Countries: Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Germany Highest Point: Dufourspitze at 15,203 feet (4,634 m) Lowest Point: Lake Maggiore at 639 feet (195 m) Switzerland is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is one of the richest countries in the world and it has consistently ranked high for its quality of life. Switzerland is known for its history of being neutral during wartimes. Switzerland is the home of many international organizations like the World Trade Organization but it is not a member of the European Union. History of Switzerland Switzerland was originally inhabited by the Helvetians and the area that makes up todays country became a part of the Roman Empire in the 1st century B.C.E. When the Roman Empire began to decline, Switzerland was invaded by several German tribes. In 800, Switzerland became a part of Charlemagnes Empire. Shortly thereafter control of the country was passed through the Holy Roman emperors. In the 13th century, new trade routes across the Alps opened and Switzerlands mountain valleys became important and were given some independence as cantons. In 1291, the Holy Roman Emperor died and according to the U.S. Department of State, the ruling families of several mountain communities signed a charter to keep peace and keep independent rule. From 1315 to 1388, Swiss Confederates were involved in several conflicts with the Habsburgs and their borders expanded. In 1499, the Swiss Confederates gained independence from the Holy Roman Empire. Following its independence and a defeat by the French and Venetians in 1515, Switzerland ended its policies of expansion. Throughout the 1600s, there were several European conflicts but the Swiss remained neutral. From 1797 to 1798, Napoleon annexed part of the Swiss Confederation and a centrally governed state was established. In 1815 the Congress of Vienna preserved the countrys status as a permanently armed neutral state. In 1848 a short civil war between Protestant and Catholic led to the formation of a Federal State modeled after the United States. A Swiss Constitution was then drafted and was amended in 1874 to ensure cantonal independence and democracy. In the 19th century, Switzerland underwent industrialization and it remained neutral during World War I. During World War II, Switzerland also remained neutral despite pressure from surrounding countries. After WWII, Switzerland began to grow its economy. It did not join the Council of Europe until 1963 and it is still not a part of the European Union. In 2002 it joined the United Nations. Government of Switzerland Today Switzerlands government is formally a confederation but it is more similar in structure to a federal republic. It has an executive branch with a chief of state, a head of government that is filled by the President, a bicameral Federal Assembly with the Council of States, and the National Council for its legislative branch. Switzerlands judicial branch is made up of a Federal Supreme Court. The country is divided into 26 cantons for local administration and each has a high degree of independence and each is equal in status. People of Switzerland Switzerland is unique in its demography because it is made up of three linguistic and cultural regions. These are German, French, and Italian. As a result, Switzerland is not a nation based on one ethnic identity; instead it is based on its common historical background and shared governmental values. The official languages of Switzerland are German, French, Italian, and Romansh. Economics and Land Use in Switzerland Switzerland is one of the wealthiest nations in the world and it has a very strong market economy. Unemployment is low and its labor force is also very highly skilled. Agriculture makes up a small part of its economy and the main products include grains, fruit, vegetables, meat, and eggs. The largest industries in Switzerland are machinery, chemicals, banking, and insurance. In addition, expensive goods such as watches and precision instruments are also produced in Switzerland. Tourism is also a very large industry in the country due to its natural setting in the Alps. Geography and Climate of Switzerland Switzerland is located in Western Europe, to the east of France and to the north of Italy. It is known for its mountain landscapes and small mountain villages. The topography of Switzerland is varied but it is mainly mountainous with the Alps in the south and the Jura in the northwest. There is also a central plateau with rolling hills and plains and there are many large lakes throughout the country. Dufourspitze at 15,203 feet (4,634 m) is Switzerlands highest point but there are many other peaks that are at very high elevations as well- the Matterhorn near the town of Zermatt in Valais is the most famous. The climate of Switzerland is temperate but it varies with altitude. Most of the country has cold and rainy to snowy winters and cool to warm and sometimes humid summers. Bern, Switzerlands capital, has an average January low temperature of 25.3 degrees F (-3.7 degrees C) and an average July high of 74.3 degrees F (23.5 degrees C). References Central Intelligence Agency. (9 November 2010). CIA - The World Factbook - Switzerland. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sz.html Infoplease.com. (n.d.). Switzerland: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0108012.html United States Department of State. (31 March 2010). Switzerland. Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3431.htm Wikipedia.com. (16 November 2010). Switzerland - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland