Unit 5

PERCENTS
PERCENTS
 Indicates number of hundredths in a
whole
 Decimal fraction can be expressed as a
percent by moving decimal point two
places to right and inserting percent
symbol
 Express 0.375 as a percent:
 Move decimal point two places to right
 Insert percent symbol
0.375 = 37.5% Ans
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FRACTIONS TO PERCENTS
 To express a common fraction as a
percent:
 Divide the numerator by the denominator to
get the decimal fraction
 Convert the answer to a percent by moving the
decimal point two places to the right

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FRACTIONS TO PERCENTS
EXAMPLE

 Express each of the following as

percents
4 0.8
5 5 4.0  80% Ans

125 6.25
20 125.00 = 625% Ans
20
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PERCENTS TO FRACTIONS
 Decimal Fractions:

 To express percent as decimal fraction:

 Drop percent symbol
 Move decimal point two places to left

 Express 25.4% as a decimal

25.4% = .254 Ans

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PERCENTS TO FRACTIONS
 Common Fractions:
 To express percents as common fractions:
 First convert percent to decimal fraction

 Express 64.5% as a common fraction

645 129
64.5%  .645   Ans
1000 200
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PERCENT TERMS DEFINED
 All simple percent problems have three
parts:
 Rate is percent (%)
 Base represents whole or a quantity equal
to 100%
 Word “of” generally relates to the base
 Part (Percentage in Book) is part or
quantity of percent of base
 Word “is” generally relates to the percentage

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PERCENT TERMS DEFINED
 Identify base, rate, and percentage
What percent of 64 is 8?
 Problem is asking for rate (percent)
 64 represents whole and is identified by word
“of,” so it is the base
 8 represents part and is identified by word “is,”
so it is the percentage

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FINDING THE PERCENTAGE
 Proportion formula for all three types of
percentage problems:

P R

B 100
Where
 B is the base or the starting/original value
 P is the percentage or part of the base
 R is the rate or percent

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FINDING THE PERCENTAGE
 Find 7.5% of 120?
P R
 Rate: 7.5% 
 Base: 120 B 100
 Problem is asking for
percentage (part)
Calculate using cross-
 Multiply 120 x 75 products and division.
 Divide the answer by 100

P 75
 P = 9 Ans
120 100 10
FINDING THE RATE
 What percent of 76 is 49.4?
Rate: Find the rate P R


 Base: 76 B 100
 Percentage (part): 49.4
 Multiply 49.4 x 100 Calculate using cross-
 Divide the answer by 76 products and division.

49.4 R
 R = 65% Ans
76 100
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FINDING THE BASE
 17.5 is 12.5% of what amount?
 Percentage: 17.5
P R
 Rate: 12.5% (.125 as a decimal) 
 Problem is asking for base B 100

Calculate using cross-

products and division.

17.5 12.5
 B = 140 Ans
B 100
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Application Problem Examples
 A tank has a capacity of 300 gallons. It is 35%
full. How many gallons are in the tank?
 Part ->?? Base-> 300 Rate-> 35%

P 35

300 100
 105 gallons

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Application Problem Examples
 A tank has a capacity of 300 gallons. It is 35%
full. How many are needed to fill it?
 We found it had a 105 gallons in it in the last
part. So one way is to figure that and subtract
from 300….195 gallons to fill
 Another way is to see that percentages always
add up to 100% so the tank is 35% full or
65% empty…so change the rate.

P 65
 , P  195
300 100
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PRACTICE PROBLEMS
1. Express each of the following as a percent.
14 5
a. 1.3 b. c.
35 8
2. Express each of the following as a decimal
fraction.
a. 1.46% b. 100%
c. 0.05%
3. Express each of the following as a common
fraction or mixed number.
a. 14.4% b. 2.5%
c. 138%
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PRACTICE PROBLEMS (Cont)
4. Round to two decimal places whenever
necessary:
 What is 12% of 150?
 What percent of 234 is 86?
 14.5 is 45% of what number?
 What is 8 ¾% of 640?
 What percent of 50 is 75?

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PRACTICE PROBLEMS (Cont)
4. Round to two decimal places whenever
necessary:
 What is 125% of 75?
 200 is 37 ½% of what number?
 What percent of 1375 is 350?
 135 is 150% of what number?

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Applications
5. A carpenter has 1350 nails. He uses 23%
on a job and then uses 34% of the
remaining nails at his second job. How
many nails are left?
6. A mixture requires 20% of compound A,
30% of compound B, and 50% of
compound C. If there is 250 pounds of
compound B, how much should there be
of compound A?

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Solutions
1. Percents 4. Problems
a. 130%
a. 18
b. 40%
c. 62.5% b. 36.75%
2. Decimals c. 32.22
a. .0146 d. 56
b. 1 e. 150%
c. .0005
f. 93.75
3. Fractions
g. 533.33
a. A
18
125 h. 25.45%
b. B 1 i. 90
40
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5. 686 nails
c. C
1
50 6. 166.67 pounds
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