All Exams Test series for 1 year @ ₹349 only
Question

A shopkeeper sold a pair of headphones for Rs. 5,520 at a gain of 20%. What would have been the gain or loss percent if it had been sold for Rs. 4,370?

This question was previously asked in
SSC CGL 2023 (Tier-II) Paper 1 Previous Year Paper (26-Oct-2023) (Shift-1)
The correct answer is

Loss 5%

Profit and Loss Percentage Calculation Explained

This problem involves calculating the cost price of an item based on its selling price and gain percentage, and then determining the gain or loss percentage if it were sold at a different price.

Step 1: Calculate the Cost Price (CP)

We are given that the headphones were sold for Rs. 5,520 at a gain of 20%. The selling price (SP) is Rs. 5,520 and the gain percentage is 20%.

The relationship between Selling Price (SP), Cost Price (CP), and Gain Percentage is:

$\text{SP} = \text{CP} \times \left(1 + \frac{\text{Gain \%}}{100}\right)$

We can rearrange this formula to find the Cost Price:

$\text{CP} = \frac{\text{SP}}{1 + \frac{\text{Gain \%}}{100}}$

Substitute the given values:

$\text{CP} = \frac{5520}{1 + \frac{20}{100}}$

$\text{CP} = \frac{5520}{1 + 0.20}$

$\text{CP} = \frac{5520}{1.20}$

Now, calculate the Cost Price:

$\text{CP} = 4600$

So, the cost price of the headphones is Rs. 4,600.

Step 2: Determine Gain or Loss at the New Selling Price

The question asks what would happen if the headphones were sold for Rs. 4,370. This is the new selling price (SP2 = Rs. 4,370).

We compare the new selling price (SP2) with the calculated cost price (CP):

  • If SP2 > CP, there is a gain.
  • If SP2 < CP, there is a loss.
  • If SP2 = CP, there is neither gain nor loss (break-even).

In this case, SP2 = 4370 and CP = 4600.

Since 4370 < 4600, there is a loss.

Step 3: Calculate the Loss Amount

The loss amount is the difference between the Cost Price and the new Selling Price:

Loss = CP - SP2

Loss = 4600 - 4370

Loss = 230

The loss amount is Rs. 230.

Step 4: Calculate the Loss Percentage

The loss percentage is calculated based on the Cost Price:

$\text{Loss \%} = \frac{\text{Loss}}{\text{CP}} \times 100$

Substitute the loss amount and Cost Price:

$\text{Loss \%} = \frac{230}{4600} \times 100$

$\text{Loss \%} = \frac{23}{460} \times 100$

$\text{Loss \%} = \frac{1}{20} \times 100$

$\text{Loss \%} = 5$

The loss percentage is 5%.

Summary of Results

Based on the calculations:

  • Cost Price (CP) = Rs. 4,600
  • New Selling Price (SP2) = Rs. 4,370
  • Comparison: SP2 < CP, indicating a loss.
  • Loss Amount = Rs. 230
  • Loss Percentage = 5%

Therefore, if the headphones were sold for Rs. 4,370, there would have been a loss of 5%.

Revision Table: Profit and Loss Formulas

Concept Formula
Gain Selling Price (SP) - Cost Price (CP)
(When SP > CP)
Loss Cost Price (CP) - Selling Price (SP)
(When CP > SP)
Gain % $\frac{\text{Gain}}{\text{CP}} \times 100$
Loss % $\frac{\text{Loss}}{\text{CP}} \times 100$
SP (with Gain %) $\text{CP} \times \left(1 + \frac{\text{Gain \%}}{100}\right)$
SP (with Loss %) $\text{CP} \times \left(1 - \frac{\text{Loss \%}}{100}\right)$
CP (from SP and Gain %) $\frac{\text{SP}}{1 + \frac{\text{Gain \%}}{100}}$
CP (from SP and Loss %) $\frac{\text{SP}}{1 - \frac{\text{Loss \%}}{100}}$

Additional Information: Understanding Profit and Loss

Profit and Loss are fundamental concepts in commercial arithmetic. They help businesses and individuals understand the financial outcome of a transaction.

  • Cost Price (CP): This is the price at which an article is purchased. It includes all expenses incurred to get the article ready for sale (like transport, packaging, etc.).
  • Selling Price (SP): This is the price at which an article is sold.
  • Profit (or Gain): Occurs when the Selling Price is greater than the Cost Price (SP > CP). It represents the positive financial gain from the sale.
  • Loss: Occurs when the Cost Price is greater than the Selling Price (CP > SP). It represents the financial deficit from the sale.
  • Percentage Calculations: Profit or loss is typically expressed as a percentage of the Cost Price. This allows for easy comparison across different transactions regardless of the absolute value of the price.

Understanding these basic terms and their relationships is crucial for solving various profit and loss problems.

Was this answer helpful?

Similar Questions

  1. A shopkeeper gains 20% in place of 16% loss if the selling price of an article is increased by Rs. 324. The cost price of the article is:

  2. A table was bought for Rs. 3,000 and sold for Rs. 3,200. Find the gain or loss in terms of money.

  3. By selling a watch for Rs. 2,000, a shopkeeper loses 20%. How much would he gain or lose by selling it for Rs. 3,000?

  4. If the cost of 120 m of cloth is Rs. 9,600, then what will be the cost of 147 m of that cloth? 

  5. The marked price on a book is ₹1,000. In a book fair, it is available for sale with a discount scheme offering two successive discounts of 12% and 8%. What is the final selling price (in ₹) of the book for a customer (rounded off to the nearest integer)?

  6. The marked price of a frock is Rs. 4,500. It is to be sold at Rs. 2,400 at two successive discounts. If the first discount is 20%, then the second discount will be:

  7. A seller professes to sell his fruits at cost price but still gains \(5\frac{5}{19}\)%. How much does he give for 1 kg?

  8. The price of an article is increased by r%. The new price was decreased by r% later. Now the latest price is Rs. 1. What was the original price of the article?

  9. Ramlal marks up his goods by 40% and gives a discount of 10%. What is his net profit percentage?

  10. Mona purchased two sets of jewellery for Rs. 4,000 each. She sold these sets of jewellery, gaining 8% on one and loosing 6% on the other. Calculate her total loss or gain in this whole transaction.


Important Questions from Profit and Loss

  1. Ram bought a chair at 35% discount on its market price, Had Ram got no discount, he would have had to pay ₹245 more. How much did Ram pay for the chair? 

  2. A shopkeeper bought an item for Rs. 4,500 and sold it at a loss of 5%. From this money, he bought another item and sold it at a profit of 10%. What is his overall profit?

  3. A man sells two articles at Rs. 9,180 each. He gains 8% on one article and loses 15% on the other. His overall profit or loss is:

  4. A shopkeeper selling an article for ₹46 loses 8%. In order to gain 6%, what should be the selling price of the article?

  5. Rahul purchased 80 items from the market. 25% items of the total items were defective and the remaining items were sold at 50% profit. What will be the overall profit percentage?

Need Expert Advice?
Upcoming Exams
SSC JHT
September 08, 2026
SSC Stenographer
September 09, 2026
SSC Selection Post
September 16, 2026
Test Series
SSC CGL img
SSC
SSC CGL (Tier I + Tier II) 2026 Mock Test Series - Latest Pattern
2500 Tests 6 Tests Free
3990 Attempts
4.2(838)
English, Hindi

Start Your Preparation with Prepp Mobile App

Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Prepp Mobile App