Math 6A (periods 2 & 4)

Computing with Percents 9-3
The statement 20% of 300 is 60 can be translated into the following equations
20/100(300) = 60 or 0.20 •300 = 60

EQUATION METHOD:
Notice the following relationship between the words and the symbols
20% of 300 is 60
0.20 • 300 = 60

WRITE THE PROBLEM OUT AND THEN DIRECTLY UNDER THE "IS" WRITE AN EQUAL SIGN. DIRECTLY UNDER THE WORD 'OF" WRITE A MULTIPLICATION SIGN. iF YOU ARE GIVEN A % CHANGE IT FIRST TO A DECIMAL. THEN BRING DOWN ALL THE OTHER NUMBERS GIVEN IN YOUR PROBLEM. LET x OR n REPRESENT YOUR VARIABLE... THAT IS THE "WHAT " PART OF YOUR PROBLEM.

A similar relationship occurs whenever a statement or a question involves a number that is a percent of another number

What is 8% of 75?
Let n represent the number asked for
What number is 8% of 75?
n = 0.08 • 75

solve
What percent of 40 is 6?
let n represent the percent asked for.

What percent of 40 is 6?
n% • 40 = 6
n% • 40 = 6
n% (40)/40 = 6/40
n% = 6/40
n/100 = 6/40
(100) n/100 = (100) 6/40
n=15 so 15% of 40 is 6

140 is 35 % of what number?
let n represent the number asked for
140 is 35% of what number?
140 = 0.35 • n
140 = 0.35n
140/0.35 = 0.35n/0.35 divide carefully!! Watch those decimals!!
400 = n
so 140 is 35% of 400

Always check to see if your answer is logical.

PROPORTION METHOD

In these types of percent problems you are always know three parts of the following proportion

n/1oo = a/b
or better yet
n/100 = is/ of

The n represents the %

Read the problems carefully and you can easily determine which is the "is" and which represents the 'of"
For example:
What percent of 40 is 6?
What percent -- from the problem above indicates that we DO NOT know the n
of 40-- hmm... then 40 must be the 'of' and
similarly is 6 means that 6 represents the 'is'

n/100 = 6/40 solve as a proportion
and you get n= 15 but since it asked us to state the 5 your answer is 15%

140 is 35 % of what number?
In this problem I notice 35% right away so that is the n!!
Then I read the problem again and notice 140 is... hmmm.. THat says 140 must be the is

35/100 = 140/ x I do not know the 'of'

Solve again
x = 400