Percentages

5 minQuiz at the end

What is a Percentage?

A percentage (%) means per hundred β€” it's a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100.

50% = 50 out of 100 = 1/2 = 0.5

Converting Between Formats

FractionDecimalPercentage
1/20.550%
1/40.2525%
3/40.7575%
1/50.220%
1/100.110%

Fraction β†’ Percentage: divide numerator by denominator, Γ— 100

  • 3/4 = 0.75 Γ— 100 = 75%

Percentage β†’ Decimal: divide by 100

  • 30% = 30 Γ· 100 = 0.30

Finding a Percentage of a Quantity

What is 30% of 200? β†’ 0.30 Γ— 200 = 60

Or: 10% of 200 = 20, so 30% = 3 Γ— 20 = 60

Percentage Increase and Decrease

Increase: Multiply by (1 + percentage/100)

  • Increase Β£80 by 20%: 80 Γ— 1.20 = Β£96

Decrease: Multiply by (1 - percentage/100)

  • Decrease Β£80 by 15%: 80 Γ— 0.85 = Β£68

Finding the Original Value

If a price after 20% increase is Β£96:

  • Original = 96 Γ· 1.20 = Β£80