How to find Percentage of a given Number

Finding the percentage of a given number involves determining what part of the number corresponds to a specific percentage.

Here’s a detailed step-by-step explanation of how to calculate it:

Step-by-Step Process

Understand the Problem:

Let’s say we want to find 20% of 50.

Convert the Percentage to a Decimal:

Percent means “per hundred,” so we convert the percentage to a decimal by dividing by 100.

For example, 20% becomes

20/100 =0.20.

Multiply the Decimal by the Given Number:

Take the decimal form of the percentage and multiply it by the number we’re interested in.

In this case, we multiply 0.20 by 50.
Perform the Multiplication:

0.20×50=10.

So, 20% of 50 is 10.

Formula

The general formula to find P% of a number N is:

P% of N=(P/100)×N

Where:

P is the percentage.

N is the number.

Examples

Example 1: Find 15% of 200

Convert 15% to a decimal:

15/100 =0.15.

Multiply by the number:

0.15×200=30.

So, 15% of 200 is 30.

Example 2: Find 75% of 120

Convert 75% to a decimal:

75/100=0.75.

Multiply by the number:

0.75×120=90.

So, 75% of 120 is 90.

Practical Application

Finding percentages is useful in various real-life situations:

Sales and Discounts:

If a store offers a 25% discount on an item priced at $80, the discount amount can be found as 25% of $80, which is 0.25×80=20.

So, the discount is $20.

Interest Rates:

If we have $1000 in a savings account earning 5% interest annually, the interest earned in one year is
5% of $1000, which is 0.05×1000=50.

So, we earn $50 in interest.

Grades:

If a student scores 85% on a test with a total of 120 points, the score in points is 85% of 120, which is 0.85×120=102.

So, the student scored 102 points.

Summary

(1) To find the percentage of a given number Convert the percentage to a decimal.
(2) Multiply the decimal by the number.
(3) The result is the part of the number corresponding to the given percentage.