Percent and Percentages

Study Notes

Percent

Percent Word Problems

Percent word problems are mathematical problems that involve calculating percentages. They are often used in everyday situations, such as calculating a discount on a purchase or determining the percentage of a test that is passed. These problems require understanding the concept of percentages, as well as basic arithmetic operations.

How to Solve Percent Word Problems

To solve percent word problems, follow these steps:

Read the problem carefully: Identify what information is given and what is unknown.
Determine the percentage: If the problem involves a percentage increase or decrease, identify the percentage.
Find the unknown value: Use the given information and the percentage to find the unknown value.
Check your answer: Make sure it makes sense in the context of the problem.

Percent of a Number

The term "percent of a number" refers to the division of a number by 100. In other words, it represents how many parts of a hundred a given number is. For example, 25% of 50 is 12.5.

Calculating Percent of a Number

To calculate the percent of a number, use the following formula:

percent_of_number = (given_number / total_number) × 100

Where:

given_number is the number you want to find the percent of.
total_number is the total number you are dividing the given number by.
The result is multiplied by 100 to express it as a percentage.

For example, if you want to find 50% of 100, you would calculate:

50/100 × 100 = 50.

Visual Representation of Percent

A visual representation of percent is a bar or line chart that displays the proportion of a given quantity. This type of chart is useful for comparing the relative size of different quantities or for showing the change in a quantity over time.

Bar Chart

A bar chart is a type of chart that represents data using rectangular bars. The height of each bar represents the value of the data it represents. Bar charts are useful for comparing quantities, as the height of the bars directly corresponds to the value of the data.

Line Chart

A line chart is a type of chart that represents data using a series of data points connected by a line. Line charts are useful for showing changes in data over time, as the line shows the trend of the data.

Pie Chart

A pie chart is a circular chart that represents data as slices of a pie. The size of each slice represents the proportion of the total that the data represents. Pie charts are useful for showing the composition of a whole, as the size of each slice directly corresponds to the proportion of the total.

Description

Understand the concept of percentages and how to calculate them. Learn to solve percent word problems and visualize percentages using bar charts, line charts, and pie charts. Improve your math skills with this comprehensive guide to percentages.