Calculating percentages is a simple mathematical procedure. When you need to determine a ratio or a portion of a quantity as a percentage of another quantity, you may need to describe it as a percentage. This article explains what percentages are, how to calculate them, and how to utilize them in everyday situations.
What are percentages and what do they mean?
Percentages are either numbers or ratios stated as fractions of 100 in mathematics. They’re frequently written as “percent” or “percentage.” They can also be expressed as decimal fractions or as simple fractions. A percentage can be expressed as 65 percent or 65 percent.
The words “percent” and “cent” were combined to create the term %. “Hundred” is a Latin and French word, while “percent” is a phrase that means “per hundred.” For example, 90 percent (or 90%) denotes 90 percent of a total, but 50 percent (or 50%) denotes 50 percent of a total.
How do you work out percentages?
There are numerous online calculators for calculating percentages, but you can compute percentages manually by following these steps:
- Determine the number’s original format before converting it to a percentage.
- Apply a mathematical formula to the number that has to be converted to a percentage.
- 100 times the outcome of the mathematical method.
1. Determine the number’s original format before converting it to a percentage.
The decimal or fraction format of the number to be converted to a percentage might be used. 0.57 is a nice example of a decimal number, which may be the calculated ratio of the values you’re comparing, whereas 3/20 is an example of a fraction. The next mathematical operation to be performed on the number will be determined by the initial format.
2. Apply a mathematical formula to the number that has to be transformed to a percentage.
If the value to be converted to a percentage is a decimal number, such as 0.57, you may not need to change it before proceeding to the next step. If the fraction is 3/20, however, you must first divide the numerator (3 in this example) by the denominator (20 in this case) to obtain a decimal value.
3. Take the outcome of the mathematical process and multiply it by 100.
If you need to convert a decimal number, such as 0.57, to a percentage, simply multiply it by 100. That is, 0.57 multiplied by 100 equals 57. As a result, 0.57 as a percentage equals 57 percent. 0.03 x 100 = 3 percent or 3 percent is another example of converting a decimal to a percentage.
If you need to convert 3/20 to a percentage, divide it by 20 and you’ll get 0.15. Then increase 0.15 by 100 to get 15% (or 15%).
Another example is converting 5/10 to a percentage, which is done by dividing 5 by 10 = 0.5. Then divide 0.5 by 100. As a result, 0.5 x 100 equals 50%, or 50%.
Working backward to calculate percentages
You may be forced to calculate percentages by working backward on occasion. When the percentage and the final amount are supplied and the original number must be determined, this is referred to as reverse percentages.
What is the number if 40 percent of a number is 500, for example? Working backward, the percentage can be calculated as follows:
- Calculate the proportion of the original or real number.
- Multiply the result by a factor of 100.
- Multiply the multiplication result by the percentage.
- Calculate the proportion of the original or real number.
The proportion of the original number as presented in the arithmetic problem is 40 percent.
- Multiply the result by 100.
The final value in the math problem should be multiplied by 100. This means that 500 multiplied by 100 equals 50,000.
- Subtract the percentage from the multiplication result.
The following and final step is to divide the result of step two’s multiplication by the percentage number stated in the question. As a result, 50000/40 = 1,250. As a result, the initial figure was 1,250.
Illustrations of percentages
Here are some percentage examples and how to calculate them:
- 3.25 is a decimal figure that can be converted to a percentage.
- To convert 0.65 to a percentage, multiply it by 100.
- Make a percentage out of the fraction 5/6.
- Make a percentage out of the fraction 60/100.
- A laptop has been cut in price by 30% to $120. What was the initial cost?
- If a 20% reduction is allowed off the listed price of $30, find the selling price.
- A ticket to a football game cost $20 two years ago. The price has jumped by 60% this year. How much does a ticket cost this year?
3.25 is a decimal figure, thus converting it to a percentage.
Multiply the decimal number 3.25 by 100 to convert it to a percentage. As a result, 3.25 x 100 equals 325 percent.
0.65 is a decimal figure that can be converted to a percentage.
To get a percentage out of the decimal number 0.65, multiply it by 100. As a result, 0.65 x 100 equals 65 percent.
5/6 is a fraction, thus converting it to a percentage.
To convert the fraction 5/6 to a percentage, divide the numerator 5 by the denominator 6 to get a decimal. 5/6=0.833 to two decimal places, according to this. Then divide 0.83 by 100 to get 83 percent.
Convert the 60/100 fraction to a percentage.
To convert the fraction 60/100 to a percentage, divide the numerator 60 by the denominator 100 to get a decimal. This means that 60/100 equals 0.6. Then divide 0.6 by 100 to get 60 percent.
A laptop has been cut in price by 30% to $120. What was the initial cost?
To find the original price, subtract 30% from 100 to get the percentage of the original price. The ultimate price is then multiplied by 100. That is, 120 multiplied by 100 is 12, 000. Finally, multiply the result by the percentage you calculated in step 1. This equals $171.43 when divided by 12000. As a result, the original price is $171.43 to two decimal places.
What do you think?