Period
What is a period?
A period represents a unit of time utilized for measuring the duration between two occurrences. This measure is instrumental in determining the frequency of cyclic events, such as the complete cycle of a waveform or a planet's orbit around the sun.
How to calculate a period?
Determining a period requires specific information, including the days within the period, the annual day count, and the interest rate. The period can be calculated using the equation: period = (days in year - days in period) / interest rate.
Considerations when calculating a period
Two significant factors to consider when computing a period are compounding and rounding. Compounding might lead to inaccuracies over extended periods, while rounding can cause errors, particularly for periods not evenly divisible by the days in a month. To mitigate these inaccuracies, using a precise calculator up to the nearest hundredth of a percent is advisable.