Math Is Fun Forum

suresh1969

Guest

Percentage question - Has been very confusing me since I know maths.

I am told many times this, but still don't understand properly.

What is - 19 per cent in 137.

I tried -
19/100
137/100
like this... I don't know how to do this.

Is there any formula (consider me as a layman) to achieve this.

Thanks for your help.

Suresh

Identity

Member

Registered: 2007-04-18

Posts: 934

Re: Percentage question - Has been very confusing me since I know maths.

Do you mean 19 percent of 137?

This is a rough analogy, but here it goes:

Imagine $137 is all (100%) of the money I have, and it is somehow evenly scattered throughout 100 boxes (it is composed of 1 cent coins)
If you want to take 19% of the money, then it would make sense that you need to take 19 out of the 100 boxes.

So you now have

of the boxes and

of the money. The total amount of money is $137, so you actually have:

In general, if you want to find x% of y, then it will be

Last edited by MathsIsFun (2009-04-20 19:05:36)

belowaverage

Member

Registered: 2009-04-20

Posts: 2

Re: Percentage question - Has been very confusing me since I know maths.

Last edited by MathsIsFun (2009-04-20 19:07:02)

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Percentage question - Has been very confusing me since I know maths.

I looked at this post and liked the explanation so much I didn't even see the arithmetic error.

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Percentage question - Has been very confusing me since I know maths.

Fixed It.

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman