DELTA Function

Are you looking to take your Google Sheets skills to the next level? If so, you may have heard of the DELTA formula. This powerful tool allows you to compare two numbers and see the difference between them in a fraction format.

DELTA is a great way to quickly see the relative change between two numbers in your spreadsheets. For example, let’s say you have a sheet with a list of sales figures for the last two months. By using the DELTA formula, you can easily see how much each month’s sales have increased or decreased compared to the previous month. This can help you identify trends and make better business decisions. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the DELTA formula and how you can use it in your own Google Sheets.

Definition of DELTA Function

The DELTA function in Google Sheets is a built-in function that calculates the relative change between two numbers. It takes two arguments – the first is the new number, and the second is the old number. The function returns the difference between these two numbers as a fraction, with the new number as the numerator and the old number as the denominator. For example, if the old number is 10 and the new number is 20, the DELTA function will return 0.5, which represents a 50% increase. The DELTA function can be useful for quickly identifying trends and changes in your data.

Syntax of DELTA Function

The syntax for the DELTA function in Google Sheets is:

=DELTA(new_number, old_number)

The new_number and old_number arguments are required, and they should be the cell references or values of the two numbers you want to compare. For example, if you want to compare the numbers in cells A1 and B1, you would use the following syntax: =DELTA(A1, B1). This would return the relative change between the numbers in cells A1 and B1 as a fraction.

Examples of DELTA Function

1. To compare the numbers in cells A1 and B1, you would use the following formula:
   =DELTA(A1, B1)
   This would return the relative change between the numbers in these two cells as a fraction.
2. To compare the numbers in cells A1 and B1, and then multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage, you would use the following formula:
   =DELTA(A1, B1)*100
   This would return the relative change between the numbers in these two cells as a percentage.
3. To compare the numbers in cells A1 and B1, and then format the result as a percentage with two decimal places, you would use the following formula:
   =TEXT(DELTA(A1, B1)*100, “0.00%”)
   This would return the relative change between the numbers in these two cells as a percentage with two decimal places.

Use Case of DELTA Function

1. A business owner has a spreadsheet with a list of sales figures for the last six months. She wants to see how much each month’s sales have increased or decreased compared to the previous month. She can use the DELTA function to quickly calculate the relative change between each month’s sales and the previous month’s sales.
2. A financial analyst has a spreadsheet with a list of stock prices for the last 12 months. He wants to see how much each month’s stock price has changed compared to the previous month. He can use the DELTA function to quickly calculate the relative change between each month’s stock price and the previous month’s stock price.
3. A teacher has a spreadsheet with a list of student test scores for the last two years. She wants to see how much each year’s average test score has increased or decreased compared to the previous year. She can use the DELTA function to quickly calculate the relative change between each year’s average test score and the previous year’s average test score.

Limitations of DELTA Function

• One limitation of the DELTA function in Google Sheets is that it only calculates the relative change between two numbers, and it does not provide the absolute difference between these numbers. For example, if the old number is 10 and the new number is 20, the DELTA function will return 0.5, which represents a 50% increase. However, it will not tell you that the absolute difference between these numbers is 10. If you want to calculate the absolute difference, you will need to use a different formula, such as the =ABS() function.
• Another limitation of the DELTA function is that it can only compare numbers, and it cannot be used with text or other non-numeric data. If you try to use the DELTA function with text or other non-numeric data, you will get an error.
• Additionally, the DELTA function assumes that the old number is the denominator and the new number is the numerator, and it will return a positive result if the new number is larger than the old number and a negative result if the new number is smaller than the old number. If you want to calculate the relative change between two numbers in a different way, you will need to use a different formula or perform the calculation manually.

Commonly Used Functions Along With DELTA

You can also use the DELTA function in combination with other functions in Google Sheets. For example, you can use the SUM function to find the total difference between multiple numbers, or the MIN or MAX functions to find the smallest or largest difference between two numbers.
Here is an example of how you might use the DELTA function with the SUM function to find the total difference between three numbers:

=SUM(DELTA(5, 3), DELTA(7, 4), DELTA(9, 2))

This formula would return the result 8, which is the sum of the differences between the three number pairs.

In general, the DELTA function is a useful tool for performing calculations and comparisons in Google Sheets. It can be used in a variety of different ways, depending on the specific needs of your spreadsheet.

Summary

The DELTA function is a math function in Google Sheets that returns the difference between two numbers. It is often used in combination with other functions to perform calculations or make comparisons. To use the DELTA function, you simply need to enter the two numbers that you want to compare in the function’s arguments.

The DELTA function can be useful in a variety of different contexts. For example, you can use it to find the difference between two numbers, or to find the total difference between multiple numbers. It can also be used with other functions, such as SUM, MIN, and MAX, to perform more complex calculations.

Overall, the DELTA function is a powerful and versatile tool for working with numbers in Google Sheets. If you haven’t tried using it before, we encourage you to give it a try and see how it can help you with your spreadsheet tasks.