| Nicked this off another website!!
In order to find x percent of any number the general way of doing that is to multiply the number by the percentage. Since percentage means hundredths of any number, percentages are written with the decimal point moved two places toward the left-hand side. With whole numbers the decimal point does not show, and since moving the decimal point over one place would indicate tenths, examples of how percentages should be written before multiplying are: .05 (five percent) or .20 (20 percent). An example is find 40% of 80: Multiply 80 (since its a whole number you don't see the decimal point) by 0.40 (which is how percentages can be written, although the 0 before the decimal point isn't really necessary). The answer is 32.
Multiplying any number by any percentage (and remembering to include the decimal points in the answer) will give the percentage.
Quick tricks for finding percentages can be used. For example, if one wants to find 30% of a number s/he can start with the original number, mentally move the decimal point over one place (in order to find 10% really quickly) and then mulitply that 10% by 3 (because 10 x 3 =30). Any time the percentage involved is divisible by 10 this trick can be used.
Another quick trick for finding 5 percent is to move the decimal point over one place (again, to find 10 percent easily) and divide that result in half (because half of 10 is 5).
Finding percentages that are multiples of 5 (for example, 25) can be done in three steps: Move the decimal point over one place to get 10%, divide that figure in half to get 5%, and then mulitply that figure by 5 (because 5 x 5 = 25).
Also, knowing that 10% equals 1/10th of any number means that finding 10% can also be done by dividing by 10.
Most people are familiar with the fact that a quarter (25 cents) is 1/4th of 100 and that 50 cents is 1/2 of 100. Keeping those basics in mind, one can easy remember that finding 25% of any number means dividing it by 4 and that finding 50% of any number means dividing it by 2.
In the case of something like 75% figuring that out could be done either by using the above divisible-by-5 method or, if its easier, finding 25% and multiplying that by 3 (because 3 x 25 = 75).
A trick for finding 40% might be moving the decimal point over one to get 10% and either remembering that figure or writing it down. Then divide the number for which you're trying to find 40% of by 2. Once you have half of the number subtract that 10% you first figured out - and you've got your 40%. |