How to Find Percentage
Calculating percentages is a useful skill in everyday life, helping you understand discounts, grades, and statistics. If you’re wondering how to find a percentage, this guide will take you through simple steps and examples to make it easy.
What is a Percentage?
A percentage represents a part out of 100. When you see a percentage, it’s simply a fraction or portion of a whole number expressed out of 100. For example, 50% means 50 out of 100, or half.
Basic Formula to Calculate Percentage
To find a percentage, you can use this basic formula:
Percentage (%) = (Part ÷ Whole) × 100
Where:
- Part is the portion or amount you’re interested in.
- Whole is the total or original amount.
Step 1: Identify the Part and the Whole
Start by determining the “part” (the amount you’re comparing) and the “whole” (the total amount). For example, if a student scored 45 out of 50 on a test:
- Part = 45
- Whole = 50
Step 2: Divide the Part by the Whole
Divide the part by the whole to get a decimal. For our example:
- 45 ÷ 50 = 0.9
Step 3: Multiply by 100 to Get the Percentage
Now, take the decimal result and multiply it by 100:
- 0.9 × 100 = 90%
So, the student’s score is 90%.
Example Calculations
Here are some more examples to help illustrate:
- Example 1: You have 20 red balls out of 80 total balls.
Calculation: (20 ÷ 80) × 100 = 25%
Result: 25% of the balls are red. - Example 2: A shirt is originally $40 and is discounted by $10.
Calculation: (10 ÷ 40) × 100 = 25%
Result: The shirt is discounted by 25%.
How to Find Percentage of a Number
If you want to find a specific percentage of a number, use this formula:
Part = (Percentage × Whole) ÷ 100
For example, to find 20% of 150:
- (20 × 150) ÷ 100 = 30
Result: 20% of 150 is 30.
Tips for Quick Percentage Calculations
- 50% is half of the number.
- 25% is a quarter of the number.
- 10% is one-tenth of the number.
Understanding these shortcuts can make percentage calculations faster.
Conclusion
Finding percentages is easy once you know the steps: identify the part and whole, divide, and multiply by 100. With a little practice, calculating percentages will become second nature. Whether it’s for shopping discounts, test scores, or statistics, percentages are everywhere, and now you’re ready to handle them confidently!
