A number increases by 10%, and then decreases by 10%. Will the result be greater than, less than, or equal to the original number? Explain. Let xx represent the number. A 10% increase is equal to x+x+ , or . A 10% decrease of this new number is equal to − 0.1(− 0.1( )), or .

Given that the number is x,
10% increase will give us a new number of:
110/100*x
=1.1x
10% decrease will give us a new number of:
90/100*1.1x
=0.99x
This implies the new number is less than the original number