Lesson 30

WHAT PERCENT?
The Method of Proportions

The first lesson on percent is Lesson 4.

In this Lesson we hope to give the student an understanding rather
than just a mechanical method to get an answer.
In Lesson 14 we saw how to use a calculator to solve percent
problems. And in Lesson 18 we first introduced the method of
proportions. In this Lesson we will see problems that anyone who
understands percent can do mentally.
Arithmetic is and always has been a spoken skill.
To understand how we use the terms Amount and Base, see Lesson
28.

1. Any number is what percent of 100?

5 is ? % of 100.

Any number is that percent of 100.

5 is 5% of 100. 12 is 12% of 100. 250 is 250% of 100.

For, a percent is a number of hundredths. 5 is 5 hundredths -- 5% -- of 100. That is
the ratio of 5 to 100. For a percent expresses a ratio, a relationship, between two
numbers. What ratio has 6 to 12? 6 is half of 12, or, in the language of percent, 6 is 50% of
12.
When the percent is less than or equal to 100%, then we can say "out of" 100. 25%
is 25 out of 100. But 250% cannot mean 250 out of 100 -- that makes no sense. It means
250 for each 100, which is two and a half times. (Lesson 16.)

Example 1. $42.10 is what percent of $42.10?

Answer. 100%. 100% is all.

The method of proportions

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 24 out of 100 is 24%. Equivalently, 24 is 24% of 100.
But what percent is 24 out of 200? 24 is what percent of 200?
Answer. Percent is how many out of 100. But if there are 24 out of 200 --

-- then out of each 100 there are half as many: 12.

24 is 12% of 200.
Since percents are ratios, then as a proportion problem, we must find the missing
term:
24 out of 200 is equal to ____ out of 100?
When we say "24 out of 200," then the Base -- the number that follows "of" -- is
200. But with percent, the Base must be 100. What must we do then to 200 to make it
100? We must take half of it or, equivalently, divide it by 2. Therefore we must
also divide 24 by 2.
24 out of 200 is equal to 12 out of 100.
But 12 out of 100 is 12%. Therefore, 24 out of 200 is also 12%.

Example 3. What percent is 24 out of 50? Equivalently, 24 is what percent of 50?

Answer. Again, percent is how many out of 100. But if there are 24 out of 50 --

-- then out of 100, there are two 24's: 48.

24 is 48% of 50.
Proportionally,

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 24 for each 50 is equal to 48 for each 100.
Now without even having to write that, the student should see that to go from
base 50 to base 100, we have to multiply by 2. Therefore we must multiply 24 by 2, also.

An all too common method these days is to make

this an algebra problem.
24 x
=
50 100
The student is taught to cross-multiply and solve
for x. That is a method for someone who does not
understand percent. Whoever does understand
percent will either do such a problem mentally, or,
if that is too difficult, with a calculator: Percent =
Amount Base.

2. How do we find the Percent by the method of proportions?

Solve the proportion in which 100 is the fourth term, and the
Amount and Base are the first and second.

"The Amount is to the Base as what number is to 100?"

The Base will always follow "of." Therefore to find what percent one number is of
another, we must make the Base 100.
(But see below.)

Example 4. 3 out of 10 students got A. What percent got A?

That is, 3 is what percent of 10? Those questions mean the same. In each one, the
base 10 follows "of."
Solution. On multiplying both numbers by 10,
3 out of 10 is equal to 30 out of 100.
30% got A.

Example 5. In a class of 25 students, 11 studied French. What percent studied French?

Solution. The student should understand that this means,
11 out of 25 studied French.
To make the base 100, we must multiply 25 by 4. Therefore we must also multiply
11 by 4:
44% studied French.
11 is to 25 as 44 is to 100.

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 While it is possible to do this problem

by writing theproper fraction , and then solving

this proportion:
11 ?
= ,
25 100
the student should not have to write that. On
seeing, or even hearing, the phrase "11 out of
25," the student should understand that we must
multiply both 11 and 25 by 4.
Understanding that is skill in arithmetic.

Example 6. In a class of 200 students, 11 studied French. What percent studied French?
Solution. In this case, to make 200 into 100, we must divide by 2, or take half. Therefore
we must also take half of 11, which is 5.
5% studied French.
We see that to solve a proportion:
We must divide both terms by the same number,
or we must multiply both terms by the same number.
Example 7. What percent of 400 is 33?
Solution. 400 is the Base; it follows "of." To make it 100, we must divide by 4. Therefore
we must also divide 33 by 4.

33
= 8.
4
"4 goes into 33 eight (8) times (32) with 1 left over."
33 is 8% of 400.

Example 8. 1000 people voted in the recent election, and 763 voted for Jones. What
percent voted for Jones?
Solution. 763 out of 1000 voted for Jones. To make the Base 100, we must divide by
10. To divide 763 by 10, simply separate one decimal digit (Lesson 4, Question 4):
763 10 = 76.3
76.3% voted for Jones.

Example 9. What percent of 500 is 132?

Solution. 132 is to 500 as 264 is to 1000 as 26.4 is to 100.
132 is 26.4% of 500.

Example 10. 7 out of 12 people voted Yes. Approximately what percent voted Yes?
Solution. What number times 12 is close to 100?

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 8 12 = 96. 8 7 = 56. Therefore approximately 56% voted Yes.
The ratio of the Amount to the Base
Example 11. 8 is what percent of 40?
Answer. That question means the same as, "8 has what ratio to 40?" For, percents are
ratios. (Lesson 17.)
Now, 8 is the fifth part of 40. And since 20 is the fifth part of 100:
8 is 20% of 40.
To master the subject of percent, the student should master Problem 1 of Lesson 28.

Example 12. What percent of 8 is 40?

Answer. Here, 8 is the Base -- it follows "of." It is possible to see that better if we
express the question in standard form:
40 is what percent of 8?
Now, 40 is five times 8. As a percent, five times is 500%.
40 is 500% of 8.

Example 13. In a class of 28 students, 7 got A. What percent of the class got A?
Answer. The question is: 7 is what percent of 28?
It is not obvious how to make 28 into 100. But 7 is the fourth part, or a quarter, of
28. And as a percent, a quarter of a number is 25%.
7 is 25% of 28.

Example 14. 12 is what percent of 18?

Answer. 12 has what ratio to 18? They have a common divisor 6.
"6 goes into 12 two times and into 18 three times."
12 is to 18 as 2 is to 3 --
12 is two thirds of 18.
Each number says its name.
2
As a percent, 66 % means two thirds. (Lesson 16.)
3
2
12 is 66 % of 18.
3

Example 15. What percent of 35 is 14?

Answer. In standard form,
14 is what percent of 35?
They have a common divisor 7. Therefore, on dividing each term by 7:
14 is to 35 as 2 is to 5.
2 is two fifths of 5. Two fifths of 100% is 40%. (One fifth is 20%.) Therefore,
14 is 40% of 35.
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Example 16. 20 is what percent of 8?
Answer. Their common divisor is 4. Therefore they have the same ratio that 5 has to 2,
which is two and a half times:
20 is 250% of 8.
20 is made up to two 8's -- 16 -- plus 4, which is half of 8. 20 is two and a half times
8.

Example 17. Clearing of decimals. .8 is what percent of 4?

Answer. To solve any percent problem, the numbers must be whole
numbers. Therefore, make the numbers whole numbers by multiplying by 10:
.8 is to 4 as 8 is to 40.
For, percents are ratios, and therefore they obey the rules of ratios.
Now, 8 is the fifth part of 40. That tells us,
.8 is 20% of 4.

Example 18. What percent of 75 is 21?

Solution 1. In standard form,
21 is what percent of 75?
They have a common divisor 3. That tells us that each number has a third
part. And on taking a third of each one:
21 is to 75 as 7 is to 25.
We can now change 25 to 100 by multiplying by 4. Therefore, on also
multiplying 7 by 4:
21 is 28% of 75.

21 ?
Solution 2. =
75 100
What number times 75 will produce 100? In other words, What ratio has 100 to 75?
Answer:
100 is one and a third times 75.
Lesson 18:
One times 75 is 75. One third of 75 is 25. 75 plus 25 is 100.
Therefore, one and a third times 21 is 21 + 7 = 28.
21 is 28% of 75.

Example 19. Same digits. $2.50 is what percent of $250?

Answer. The digits are the same: 2, 5, 0 -- but $2.50 has two decimal digits. It is $250
divided by 100:
$2.50 = $250 100.
(Lesson 4.) Therefore,
$2.50 is 1% of $250.
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 Lesson 4.
Compare Lesson 15, Examples 5 and 6.

Example 20. $84.50 is what percent of $845?

Answer. 10%. $84.50 = $845 10.
Which is how to take 10% of a number.
Summary
To find what percent one number is of another:

Multiply or divide both terms so that the Base becomes 100.

9 is what percent of 20?
It is easy to make 20 into 100 by multiplying it by 5. And since 5 times 9 is 45,
9 is 45% of 20.
If it is not obvious how to make the base 100 -- Look
directly at the ratio of the Amount to the Base.
7 is what percent of 28?
Since 7 is one quarter of 28, then
7 is 25% of 28.

Example 21. 742 people were surveyed, and 213 responded No. What percent
responded No?
Solution. 213 is what percent of 742? Use your calculator

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 WHAT PERCENT?
THE METHOD OF PROPORTIONS
PROBLEMS

11. 28 out of 100 students got A.

11. a) What percent got A? 28%
11. b) What percent did not get A? 72%

12. 81 students in the class were brunettes, 14 were blondes, and 5 were
12. red-heads.
12. a) What percent were brunettes? 81%, since 81 + 14 + 5 = 100.
12. b) What percent were blondes? 14%
12. c) What percent were red-heads? 5%

13. a) 32 out of 100 people responded Yes. What percent responded

13. a) Yes? 32%
13. b) 32 out of 200 people responded Yes. What percent responded
13. b) Yes? 16%
13. c) 32 out of 50 people responded Yes. What percent responded
13. c) Yes? 64%

14. Solve each proportion. And explain why each one is a proportion.
14. a) 9 out of 20 is equal to 45 out of 100. Because:
5 times 20 is 100. And 5 times 9 is 45.
14. a) 9 is what percent of 20? 45%

14. b) 27 out of 300 is equal to 9 out of 100. Because:

A third of 300 is 100. And a third of 27 is 9.
14. a) 27 is what percent of 300? 9%

14. c) 8 out of 32 is equal to 25 out of 100. Because:

8 is a quarter of 32. And 25 is a quarter of 100.
14. a) 8 is what percent of 32? 25%

15. In a class of 25 students, 4 were absent. What percent were

16. absent? 16%
16. What percent were present? 84%

16. Jennifer had $50 and she spent $49. What percent of her money did
17. she spend? 98%
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17. What percent does she have left? 2%

17. A team played 20 games and won 17 of them. What percent did
18. they win? 85%
17. What percent did they lose? 15%

18. In a survey of 200 people, 84 responded Yes. What percent

18. responded Yes? 42%

19. In a survey of 200 people, 85 responded Yes. What percent

19. responded Yes? 42%

10. 128 out of 400 students took French. What percent took
10. French? 32%

11. 129 out of 400 students took French. What percent took
11. French? 32%

12. In a survey of 1000 students, 682 responded No. What percent

14. responded No? 68.2%. What percent responded Yes? 31.8%

13. In a later survey of 1000 students, 846 responded No. What percent
15. responded No? 84.6% What percent responded Yes? 15.4%

14. 500 people recently voted, and 325 voted for candidate A. What
12. percent voted for candidate A? 65%. What percent did not vote for
12. candidate A? 35%
(Compare Example 9.)

15. 500 people recently voted, and 328 voted for candidate B. What
13. percent voted for candidate A? 34.4%. What percent did not vote
13. for candidate A? 65.6%

16. In each of the following, the Amount has what ratio to -- is what
16. percent of -- the Base?
16. For example, 15 is what percent of 20?
15 is three fourths of 20
16. because 15 and 20 have a common divisor 5. Therefore,
15 is 75% of 20.
16. a) 9 is what percent of 45?
9 is the fifth part of 45. 9 is 20% of 45.
16. b) What percent of 16 is 4?
4 is the fourth part of 16. 4 is 25% of 16.
16. c) What percent of 4 is 16?

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 16 is four times 4. 16 is 400% of 4.
16. d) 12 is what percent of 36?
1
12 is the third part of 36. 12 is 33 % of 36.
3
16. e) What percent of 18 is 9?
9 is half of 18. 9 is 50% of 18.
16. f) What percent of 9 is 18?
18 is two times of 9. 18 is 200% of 9.
16. g) 6 is what percent of 60?
6 is the tenth part of 60. 6 is 10% of 60.
16. h) 18 is what percent of 60?
18 is the three tenths of 60. 18 is 30% of 60.
16. i) 12 is what percent of 30?
12 is the two fifths of 30. (Common divisor 6.) 12 is 40% of 30.
16. j) 18 is what percent of 27?
2
18 is two thirds of 27. 18 is 66 % of 27.
3
16. k) 7 is what percent of 56?
7 is the eighth part of 56. 7 is 12% of 56.
16. l) 20 is what percent of 8?
20 is two and a half times 8. 20 is 250% of 8.
16. m) What percent of 4 is 13?
13 is three and a quarter times 4. 13 is 325% of 4.

17. Clearing of decimals. Rephrase each question with whole

17. numbers. Then answer it.
a) 1.5 is what percent of 2? 15 is what percent of 20? 75%.

b) .2 is what percent of 5? 2 is what percent of 50? 4%.

c) 2 is what percent of 2.5? 20 is what percent of 25? 80%.

d) What percent of 5 is 7.5? 75 is what percent of 50? 150%.

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 e) What percent of 2 is 2.5? 25 is what percent of 20? 125%.

f) What percent of 4 is .5? 5 is what percent of 40? 12.5%.

WHAT PERCENT?
THE METHOD OF PROPORTIONS
ANSWERS

11. 28 out of 100 students got A.

11. a) What percent got A? 28%
11. b) What percent did not get A? 72%

12. 81 students in the class were brunettes, 14 were blondes, and 5 were
12. red-heads.
12. a) What percent were brunettes? 81%, since 81 + 14 + 5 = 100.
12. b) What percent were blondes? 14%
12. c) What percent were red-heads? 5%

13. a) 32 out of 100 people responded Yes. What percent responded

13. a) Yes? 32%
13. b) 32 out of 200 people responded Yes. What percent responded
13. b) Yes? 16%
13. c) 32 out of 50 people responded Yes. What percent responded
13. c) Yes? 64%

14. Solve each proportion. And explain why each one is a proportion.
14. a) 9 out of 20 is equal to 45 out of 100. Because:
5 times 20 is 100. And 5 times 9 is 45.
14. a) 9 is what percent of 20? 45%

14. b) 27 out of 300 is equal to 9 out of 100. Because:

A third of 300 is 100. And a third of 27 is 9.
14. a) 27 is what percent of 300? 9%

14. c) 8 out of 32 is equal to 25 out of 100. Because:

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 8 is a quarter of 32. And 25 is a quarter of 100.
14. a) 8 is what percent of 32? 25%

15. In a class of 25 students, 4 were absent. What percent were

16. absent? 16%
16. What percent were present? 84%

16. Jennifer had $50 and she spent $49. What percent of her money did
17. she spend? 98%
17. What percent does she have left? 2%

17. A team played 20 games and won 17 of them. What percent did
18. they win? 85%
17. What percent did they lose? 15%

18. In a survey of 200 people, 84 responded Yes. What percent

18. responded Yes? 42%

19. In a survey of 200 people, 85 responded Yes. What percent

19. responded Yes? 42%

10. 128 out of 400 students took French. What percent took
10. French? 32%

11. 129 out of 400 students took French. What percent took
11. French? 32%

12. In a survey of 1000 students, 682 responded No. What percent

14. responded No? 68.2%. What percent responded Yes? 31.8%

13. In a later survey of 1000 students, 846 responded No. What percent
15. responded No? 84.6% What percent responded Yes? 15.4%

14. 500 people recently voted, and 325 voted for candidate A. What
12. percent voted for candidate A? 65%. What percent did not vote for
12. candidate A? 35%
(Compare Example 9.)

15. 500 people recently voted, and 328 voted for candidate B. What
13. percent voted for candidate A? 34.4%. What percent did not vote
13. for candidate A? 65.6%

16. In each of the following, the Amount has what ratio to -- is what
16. percent of -- the Base?
16. For example, 15 is what percent of 20?
15 is three fourths of 20
16. because 15 and 20 have a common divisor 5. Therefore,
12
 15 is 75% of 20.
16. a) 9 is what percent of 45?
9 is the fifth part of 45. 9 is 20% of 45.
16. b) What percent of 16 is 4?
4 is the fourth part of 16. 4 is 25% of 16.
16. c) What percent of 4 is 16?
16 is four times 4. 16 is 400% of 4.
16. d) 12 is what percent of 36?
1
12 is the third part of 36. 12 is 33 % of 36.
3
16. e) What percent of 18 is 9?
9 is half of 18. 9 is 50% of 18.
16. f) What percent of 9 is 18?
18 is two times of 9. 18 is 200% of 9.
16. g) 6 is what percent of 60?
6 is the tenth part of 60. 6 is 10% of 60.
16. h) 18 is what percent of 60?
18 is the three tenths of 60. 18 is 30% of 60.
16. i) 12 is what percent of 30?
12 is the two fifths of 30. (Common divisor 6.) 12 is 40% of 30.
16. j) 18 is what percent of 27?
2
18 is two thirds of 27. 18 is 66 % of 27.
3
16. k) 7 is what percent of 56?
7 is the eighth part of 56. 7 is 12% of 56.
16. l) 20 is what percent of 8?
20 is two and a half times 8. 20 is 250% of 8.
16. m) What percent of 4 is 13?
13 is three and a quarter times 4. 13 is 325% of 4.

17. Clearing of decimals. Rephrase each question with whole

17. numbers. Then answer it.
a) 1.5 is what percent of 2? 15 is what percent of 20? 75%.

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b) .2 is what percent of 5? 2 is what percent of 50? 4%.

c) 2 is what percent of 2.5? 20 is what percent of 25? 80%.

d) What percent of 5 is 7.5? 75 is what percent of 50? 150%.

e) What percent of 2 is 2.5? 25 is what percent of 20? 125%.

f) What percent of 4 is .5? 5 is what percent of 40? 12.5%.

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