Percentages

Question 1

What is a percentage?

Answer 1

A percentage is a relative value indicating the hundredth parts of any quantity. … For example, 1 per cent of 1,000 chickens equals 1/100 of 1,000, or 10 chickens; 20 per cent of the quantity is 20/100 1,000, or 200.

In mathematics, a percentage is a number or ratio expressed as a fraction of 100. It is often denoted using the per cent sign, “%”, although the abbreviations “pct.”, “pct” and sometimes “pc” are also used. A percentage is a dimensionless number; it has no unit of measurement.

Question 2

How do you calculate a percentage?

Answer 2

A percentage can be calculated by dividing the value by the total value and then multiplying the result by 100. The formula used to calculate percentage is: (value/total value)×100%.

Question 3

Percentage increase and decrease:

Answer 3

First: work out the difference (increase) between the two numbers you are comparing. Then: divide the increase by the original number and multiply the answer by 100. % increase = Increase ÷ Original Number × 100. If your answer is a negative number, then this is a percentage decrease.

Question 4

Reverse Percentages

Answer 4

Reverse percentages (or inverse percentages) means working backwards to find an original amount, given a percentage of that amount. We can do this using a calculator by taking the percentage we have been given, dividing to find 1% and then multiplying by 100 to find 100% .