Lesson 4.01 -  Percent %

  


 
A percent is actually a ratio--a comparison of two numbers.  But instead of comparing any two numbers, you will always compare the first number with 100.  If fact, that is what percent means, "for every 100." 

A test paper with a letter grade of BSo, if you took a test and got 83 correct out of 100 questions you could say that you got 83 for every 100.  Instead of writing it out like that or writing it like a fraction, 83/100, you can use the symbol for percent and write it like this:  83%.  The percent symbol (%) means, "for every 100."
 
Also, percents can be written as decimals.  A simple way to
do this is to move the decimal point two places to the left like this: 
  		Moving the decimal point two places to the left turns 83% into eighty-three hundredths
Of course, you can see that it is possible to
turn decimals into percents by moving the
decimal point two places to the right.

Moving the decimal point two places to the left turns 83% into eighty-three hundredths


  

You can see that turning a percent into a fraction is very, very easy.  It will be that number over 100 (every time). 
Don't forget to reduce (simplify) when it is needed.

83% = .83 = 83/100

  

Practice Activities - Percent %

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