SOLVING PERCENT PROBLEMS What Is Solving Percent Problems? • A percent is a way of comparing a number with 100. • Percents are usually written with a percent sign: 60% or 32% • There are 3 ways to represent a percent: as a percent 55%, as a decimal .55 or as a fraction 50/100. • Any of the representations can be used to solve a percent problem. • To solve a percent problem, multiply the value by the percent using one of the representations for the percent. For example, 65% of 94 could be solved by multiplying .65 X 94 which is 61.1 or by calculating an equivalent fraction 65/100 = n/94. Which method would be easier? How to solve percent problems: • Change the percent to a decimal: 45% = .45 88% = .88 17% = .17 • Multiply the value by the decimal: 45% of 80 → .45 x 80 = 36 88% of 124 → .88 x 124 = 109.12 17% of 45 → .17 x 45 = 7.65 • When solving a word problem with a percent in it: o Read carefully to decide what value is to be broken into a part. o The percent will usually have the % mark next to the number. o The other value will be connected to an item which CAN be broken into its parts. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
• Example: A bakery makes 900 cookies each day and 70% of those cookies are chocolate chip. If a customer wants 500 chocolate chip cookies, will the bakery have enough to sell? o The 900 cookies can be divided into parts. o 70% of the cookies are chocolate chip o To solve: 70% of 900 → .75 x 900 = 675 o Yes, the bakery has 675 chocolate chip cookies, enough chocolate chip cookies to sell to the customer who wants 500. Try This! 50% of 60 __________________ 13% of 37 __________________ 25% of 80 __________________ 89% of 600 _________________ A woodworker made 60 decorative shelves to sell at a fair. 30% of the shelves were made out of maple wood. How many maple shelves does he have to sell? ______________________________________ © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.