CHAPTER 4 Ratio, Proportion, and Percent
4.2 Understand Percent
Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
- Use the definition of percent
- Convert percents to fractions and decimals
- Convert decimals and fractions to percents
Use the Definition of Percent
How many cents are in one dollar? There are cents in a dollar. How many years are in a century? There are years in a century. Does this give you a clue about what the word “percent” means? It is really two words, “per cent,” and means per one hundred. A percent is a ratio whose denominator is . We use the percent symbol to show percent.
Percent
A percent is a ratio whose denominator is .
According to data from the Statistics Canada, of Canadian Internet users reported a cyber security incident, including being redirected to fraudulent websites that asked for personal information or getting a virus or other computer infection. This means out of every Canadian internet users reported cyber security incidents as (Figure 1) shows. Out of the squares on the grid, are shaded, which we write as the ratio .
Similarly, means a ratio of means a ratio of and means a ratio of . In words, “one hundred percent” means the total is , and since , we see that means whole.
EXAMPLE 1
According to a survey done by Universities Canada of Canada’s Universities are working to include Indigenous representation within their governance or leadership structures.Write this percent as a ratio.
| The amount we want to convert is 71%. | |
| Write the percent as a ratio. Remember that percent means per 100. |
TRY IT 1.1
Write the percent as a ratio.
According to a survey, of college students have a smartphone.
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TRY IT 1.2
Write the percent as a ratio.
A study found that of Canadian teens send text messages regularly.
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EXAMPLE 2
In , according to a Universities Canada survey, out of every of today’s undergraduates benefit from experiential learning such as co-ops, internships and service learning. Write this as a ratio and then as a percent.
| The amount we want to convert is out of . | out of |
| Write as a ratio. | |
| Convert the 56 per 100 to percent. |
TRY IT 2.1
Write as a ratio and then as a percent: According to Statistics Canada, only out of young Canadians cross a provincial border to complete their university degree.
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TRY IT 2.2
Write as a ratio and then as a percent: According to an international comparison done by the British Council, out of current professional leaders across 30 countries and in all sectors, are liberal arts grads with bachelor’s degrees in the social sciences or humanities.
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Convert Percents to Fractions and Decimals
Since percents are ratios, they can easily be expressed as fractions. Remember that percent means per , so the denominator of the fraction is .
Convert a Percent to a Fraction.
- Write the percent as a ratio with the denominator .
- Simplify the fraction if possible.
EXAMPLE 3
Convert each percent to a fraction: