35% of what number is 42?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to find a number such that 35% of it equals 42. This involves setting up an equation to solve for the unknown number.
Answer
The unknown number is $120$.
Answer for screen readers
The unknown number is ( x = 120 ).
Steps to Solve
- Set up the equation
We need to express the relationship stated in the problem mathematically. Let the unknown number be represented by $x$. The equation based on the problem will be: $$ 0.35x = 42 $$
- Isolate the variable
To find $x$, we need to isolate it. We do this by dividing both sides of the equation by $0.35$: $$ x = \frac{42}{0.35} $$
- Calculate the value
Now, we will perform the division: $$ x = \frac{42}{0.35} = 120 $$
The unknown number is ( x = 120 ).
More Information
This means that if you take 35% of 120, you will get 42. It's a basic application of percentages, which is a common topic in many math problems!
Tips
- Incorrectly converting the percentage to a decimal. Remember that 35% is equivalent to $0.35$.
- Forgetting to isolate the variable by performing the same operation on both sides of the equation, which is crucial for solving equations.
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