1. What is Fractional Reduction?

Fractional reduction measures the relative decrease from an old value to a new value as a proportion of the original value. It's a dimensionless quantity useful for comparing relative changes across different scales.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the reduction formula:

Where:

• \( Old \) — Original value before reduction
• \( New \) — Value after reduction

Explanation: The formula calculates what fraction of the original value was lost in the reduction.

3. Importance of Reduction Calculation

Details: Fractional reduction is widely used in economics (price changes), science (concentration changes), engineering (efficiency improvements), and medicine (symptom reduction).

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both old and new values in the same units. The old value must be greater than zero. The result is a unitless fraction between -∞ and 1 (negative values indicate an increase rather than reduction).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How do I convert the fraction to percentage?
A: Multiply the fractional reduction by 100. For example, 0.25 reduction = 25% reduction.

Q2: What does a negative reduction mean?
A: A negative reduction indicates an increase from the old value to the new value.

Q3: What's the difference between reduction and percent change?
A: Reduction is the fractional change (value between 0 and 1), while percent change is the fractional change multiplied by 100.

Q4: Can the new value be larger than the old value?
A: Yes, this will result in a negative reduction value, indicating an increase rather than decrease.

Q5: What units should I use?
A: The units cancel out in the calculation, so as long as both values are in the same units, any unit system can be used.