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Calculating Percentages
Parts of 100: Calculating Percentages
Let’s say you scored 85 percent (%) on your last science test. Does that mean you got 85
questions right? Probably not. The score on your test is expressed as a percentage. The
word percent comes from Latin words meaning “parts of a 100,†and that’s exactly what a
percentage is. A percentage is a ratio that compares a number with 100. Read on to
learn how to find a percentage of a number.
PROCEDURE: To find a percentage of a number, first rewrite the percentage you
wish to find as a decimal by moving its decimal point two places to the left.
Then multiply this decimal number by the number you are finding the
percentage of. The result is your percentage.
SAMPLE PROBLEM: What is 85% of 40?
Step 1: Rewrite the percentage by moving the decimal point two places to
the left.
Step 2: Multiply the decimal by the number you are calculating the
percentage of.