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Basic Percentage Calculator
About Percentage Calculations
A percentage represents a fraction of 100. The term comes from the Latin 'per centum', meaning 'by the hundred'. Percentages are used to express how large or small one quantity is relative to another quantity.
Common Percentage Formulas
- Basic percentage: X% of Y = (X/100) × Y
- Finding the percentage: X is what % of Y = (X/Y) × 100
- Finding the base value: Y is X% of what = Y ÷ (X/100)
- Percentage increase: [(New - Original) ÷ Original] × 100
- Percentage decrease: [(Original - New) ÷ Original] × 100
- Percentage difference: |Value1 - Value2| ÷ [(|Value1| + |Value2|) ÷ 2] × 100
- Markup: [(Selling Price - Cost) ÷ Cost] × 100
- Profit Margin: [(Selling Price - Cost) ÷ Selling Price] × 100
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a percentage?
A percentage is a number or ratio expressed as a fraction of 100. It is often denoted using the percent sign, "%". For example, 45% (read as "forty-five percent") is equal to 45/100, or 0.45.
What's the difference between markup and margin?
Markup is the percentage of the cost price that you add to get the selling price. It's calculated as: [(Selling Price - Cost) ÷ Cost] × 100. Profit margin is the percentage of the selling price that is profit. It's calculated as: [(Selling Price - Cost) ÷ Selling Price] × 100. For example, if an item costs $100 and sells for $150, the markup is 50%, but the profit margin is 33.33%.
How do I calculate a discount?
To calculate a discount, multiply the original price by the discount percentage (as a decimal), then subtract that amount from the original price. For example, a 20% discount on a $100 item would be: $100 - ($100 × 0.20) = $100 - $20 = $80.
What is percentage change?
Percentage change measures how much a value has increased or decreased as a percentage of the original value. It's calculated as: [(New Value - Original Value) ÷ Original Value] × 100. A positive result indicates an increase, while a negative result indicates a decrease.
What is percentage difference?
Percentage difference measures the difference between two values as a percentage of their average. It's useful when comparing two values without designating either as the original or new value. The formula is: |Value1 - Value2| ÷ [(|Value1| + |Value2|) ÷ 2] × 100.
How do I convert a percentage to a decimal?
To convert a percentage to a decimal, divide the percentage by 100. For example, 75% = 75 ÷ 100 = 0.75.
How do I convert a percentage to a fraction?
To convert a percentage to a fraction, write the percentage as a fraction with 100 as the denominator, then simplify if possible. For example, 25% = 25/100 = 1/4.
How do I calculate tax?
To calculate tax, multiply the pre-tax amount by the tax rate (as a decimal). For example, to calculate 8% sales tax on a $50 item: $50 × 0.08 = $4 tax. The total price would be $50 + $4 = $54.
What is the difference between percentage points and percentages?
A percentage point is the arithmetic difference between two percentages. For example, if a value increases from 40% to 50%, it has increased by 10 percentage points. However, the percentage increase would be (50% - 40%) ÷ 40% × 100 = 25%.
How do I calculate a tip?
To calculate a tip, multiply the bill amount by the tip percentage (as a decimal). For example, to calculate a 15% tip on a $60 bill: $60 × 0.15 = $9 tip.
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