How to Calculate Shrinkage Percentage

Felt may shrink when washed.
••• Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images

Shrinkage occurs when a material, such as felt or cotton, gets smaller when it is washed for the first time. Before starting on a big project with a material that shrinks, make a test object to determine the projected amount of shrinkage, so that you do not end up with the material that does not fit correctly after washing. Calculate the shrinkage percentage after determining the original size and the end size.

    Subtract the final size from the original size to find the amount of the shrinkage. For example, if a felt square shrinks from 8 square inches to 6 square inches, subtract 6 from 8, resulting in 2 square inches of shrinkage.

    Divide the amount of shrinkage by the original size to find the shrinkage rate. In the example, divide 2 by 8 to get 0.25.

    Multiply the shrinkage rate by 100 to find the shrinkage as a percentage. In the example, multiply 0.25 by 100 to get 25 percent.

Related Articles

How to Calculate 20% Off
How to Calculate Amount Per Square Foot
How to Convert a Load to PSI in a Tensile Test
Test Your Knowledge on Middle School Science
How to Calculate the Area of a Pipe
How to Calculate Cost Increase by a Percent
Characteristics of Aquatic Plants
How to Calculate Reverse Percentage
How to Calculate a Growth Trend
How to Calculate the Percentage of a Number
How to Make Roller Coasters for a Science Fair Project
How to Find the Original Price
How to Calculate Strain Rate
How to Convert Seconds Into Miles Per Hour
How to Calculate NAIRU
How to Calculate Thermal Expansion of Steel
How to Calculate a Weight-to-Strength Ratio
How to Convert Metric Tons to Cubic Meters
How to Find Mass in Weight

Dont Go!

We Have More Great Sciencing Articles!