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Chapter overview
Learning goals
Learning Goals
Maths
Summary
Percentages are proportions out of one hundred and are commonly used to describe changes between numbers. They compare how much things such as value have grown or deteriorated over time.
There are a few different ways you might be asked to find a percentage - it's important to remember that a percentage can be converted to a fraction or a decimal to make things easier.
To find a percentage of a value using a calculator, convert the percentage to a fraction and multiply it by the value.
Find 19% of 56. You may use a calculator for this question.
Convert to a fraction.
19%=10019
Multiply by the value.
10019×56=10.64
To find a percentage of a value without a calculator, split up the percentage into simple percentages, work each one out and add them together.
Find 22% of 89. Do not use a calculator for this question.
Break down 22% into simple percentages.
22%=10%+10%+1%+1%
Work out each one.
10%=89÷10=8.91%=89÷100=0.89
Add them together.
8.9+8.9+0.89+0.89=19.58
Or you may be asked to express one value as a percentage of another. Simply write the values as a fraction and multiply by one hundred.
Express 93 as a percentage of 600.
Write as a fraction.
60093
Multiply by one hundred.
60093×100=15.5
As a percentage, 93 is 15.5% of 600.
Percentage changes are calculated using multipliers and result in either a decrease on an increase.
Multiplier | A decimal value that represents a percentage change:
|
To find a multiplier add or subtract your percentage as a decimal from one.
To work out a change in percentage, calculate your multiplier and multiply by the original value.
What is £20 after a 17% decrease?
Work out the multiplier: we have a decrease so take 0.17 away from one.
1−0.17=0.83
Multiply the original value by the multiplier.
Tip: Simple interest involves making the an increase and then multiplying by the number of years.
In some cases you may be asked to work out the percentage change from two values. The formula for this is as follows:
Percentage change=OriginalChange×100
Where 'Change' is the new value minus the original value.
Work out the percentage change from 600 to 735.
Work out the change in values.
735−600=135
Use the formula.
600135×100=22.5
The percentage change is positive so there was a percentage increase of 22.5%.
Another common kind of percentage task is to work out the original value after a percentage change.
1. | Write the equivalent percentage of the 'new' amount. |
2. | Divide to find 1%. |
3. | Multiply to get 100%. |
The value of a tomato increases by 2.2% to 79p. What was its original value?
Add 2.2% to 100% to find the percentage equivalent to the new value: 79p.
102.2%=79p
Divide by 102.2 to get one percent.
1%=0.772994129
Multiply by one hundred to find 100% (the original value).
100×0.772994129=77.3p (to one decimal place)
Percentages are proportions out of one hundred and are commonly used to describe changes between numbers. They compare how much things such as value have grown or deteriorated over time.
There are a few different ways you might be asked to find a percentage - it's important to remember that a percentage can be converted to a fraction or a decimal to make things easier.
To find a percentage of a value using a calculator, convert the percentage to a fraction and multiply it by the value.
Find 19% of 56. You may use a calculator for this question.
Convert to a fraction.
19%=10019
Multiply by the value.
10019×56=10.64
To find a percentage of a value without a calculator, split up the percentage into simple percentages, work each one out and add them together.
Find 22% of 89. Do not use a calculator for this question.
Break down 22% into simple percentages.
22%=10%+10%+1%+1%
Work out each one.
10%=89÷10=8.91%=89÷100=0.89
Add them together.
8.9+8.9+0.89+0.89=19.58
Or you may be asked to express one value as a percentage of another. Simply write the values as a fraction and multiply by one hundred.
Express 93 as a percentage of 600.
Write as a fraction.
60093
Multiply by one hundred.
60093×100=15.5
As a percentage, 93 is 15.5% of 600.
Percentage changes are calculated using multipliers and result in either a decrease on an increase.
Multiplier | A decimal value that represents a percentage change:
|
To find a multiplier add or subtract your percentage as a decimal from one.
To work out a change in percentage, calculate your multiplier and multiply by the original value.
What is £20 after a 17% decrease?
Work out the multiplier: we have a decrease so take 0.17 away from one.
1−0.17=0.83
Multiply the original value by the multiplier.