Short Answer

Analyzing Prompt Effectiveness for Multi-Step Calculations

An analyst is using a language model to perform a multi-step calculation: finding the percentage change in quarterly sales. They have drafted two prompts.

Prompt A: "Q: Last quarter's sales were $80 and this quarter's sales are $100. What is the percentage change? A: First, find the difference: $100 - $80 = $20. Then, divide the difference by the original amount: $20 / $80 = 0.25. Finally, multiply by 100 to get the percentage: 0.25 * 100 = 25%. The percentage change is 25%.

Q: Last quarter's sales were $500 and this quarter's sales are $450. What is the percentage change?"

Prompt B: "Q: Last quarter's sales were $80 and this quarter's sales are $100. What is the percentage change? A: First, find the difference: $100 - $80 = $20. Then, divide the difference by the original amount: $20 / $80 = 0.25. Finally, multiply by 100 to get the percentage: 0.25 * 100 = 25%. The percentage change is 25%.

Q: Last quarter's sales were $200 and this quarter's sales are $250. What is the percentage change? A: First, find the difference: $250 - $200 = $50. Then, divide the difference by the original amount: $50 / $200 = 0.25. Finally, multiply by 100 to get the percentage: 0.25 * 100 = 25%. The percentage change is 25%.

Q: Last quarter's sales were $500 and this quarter's sales are $450. What is the percentage change?"

Analyze the two prompts. Explain why Prompt B is likely to produce more reliable and accurate results for the final question compared to Prompt A.

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Updated 2025-10-02

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