A percentage is a number or ratio expressed as a fraction of $100$. It is often denoted using the percent sign, "$%$", or the abbreviation "$\mathrm{pct}$." -Wikipedia. Percentages are used when describing portions or proportional changes.
Questions tagged [percentages]
1449 questions
73
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What is the most expensive item I could buy with £50?
I was set the following question during the discrete mathematics module of my degree and despite my instructor explaining his working to me I still disagree with the answer he says is correct. Can someone please help me either understand where my…
Sam
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14 answers
Express 99 2/3% as a fraction? No calculator
My 9-year-old daughter is stuck on this question and normally I can help her, but I am also stuck on this! I have looked everywhere to find out how to do this but to no avail so any help/guidance is appreciated: The possible answers are: $1…
lara400
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Is the percentage symbol a constant?
Isn't the percentage symbol actually just a constant with the value $0.01$ ? As in $$ 15\% = 15 \times \% = 15 \times 0.01 = 0.15. $$ Isn't every unit actually just a constant? But why do we treat them in such a special way then?
29
votes
6 answers
Misunderstanding of percentage increase
If something increase $50$ to $200$, I know that it is $400\%$ increment using common sense. I can get this using $\dfrac{200}{50}\times 100\% = 400\%$. If something increase $50$ to $52$, I know that it is $4\%$ increment using common sense. But if…
29
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3 answers
What does "X% faster" mean?
I was reading something today that was talking in terms of 10%, 100% and 1000% faster. I assumed that 10% faster means it takes 10% less time (60 seconds down to 54 seconds). If that is correct wouldn't 100% faster mean 0 time and 1000% mean…
Abe Miessler
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What does $200\%$ faster mean? (How can something be more than $100\%$ faster?)
I'm a simple man living my every day life and have not much understanding of math or science. Today I read an article where someone claimed they can charge a battery $200\%$ faster. This got me thinking. What do they mean? How can something be…
bodacydo
- 4,092
18
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4 answers
1/1000 chance of a reaction. If you do the action 1000 times, whats the new chance the reaction occurs?
A hypothetical example: You have a 1/1000 chance of being hit by a bus when crossing the street. However, if you perform the action of crossing the street 1000 times, then your chance of being hit by a bus increases to about 60% because every time…
Lizzie
- 221
18
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4 answers
What is the difference between faster by factor and faster by percent?
I don't understand the difference between faster by factor versus faster by percent. For example, Machine A Execution Time: 5.106 ms Machine B Execution Time: 0.851 ms Obviously, machine B is faster 4.255 ms. Now, I want to display how much faster B…
RandomDuck.NET
- 283
17
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1 answer
1 minus percentage: What is this called?
I'm trying to convert a percentage: The original percentage represents how bad the condition of a asset is (in other words, a high number is bad). I would like to convert the percentage to represent how good the condition of an asset is (in other…
User1974
- 435
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17 answers
Why does $0.75 \times 1.25$ equal $0.93$ and not $1$?
If percentage points can equal decimal points, then $1.25$ should equal $125$% when multiplying $1.25$ by any number. Therefore $125$% of $0.75$ should equal $1$ if $0.75$ is also $75$% of $1$. Am I missing something super obvious here or what?!…
15
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14 answers
Does 17% have to be equal to 0.17?
I have a friend who believes that 17% doesn't have to be equal to 0.17. Even though he says that 17% is equal to 0.17 on its own , he says that 17% at any other time is not equal to 0.17, referring to the argument that $17\%x \neq 0.17$. No matter…
Jonathan Spirit
- 319
13
votes
7 answers
Finding total after percentage has been used?
Tried my best with the title. Ok, earlier while I was on break from work (I have low level math, and want to be more fond of mathematics) I work retail, and 20% of taxes are taken out, and I am wanting to find out how much I made before 20% is taken…
andyADD
- 241
10
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2 answers
Name for percentage as a decimal between 0 and 1 inclusive
Problem I'm unsure if I should be asking this here or on English Language, so sorry if it's not a good fit for a site. I'm looking for a term that describes a number between 0 and 1, inclusive, that represents a percentage. For example, 0.5 would be…
OMGtechy
- 161
10
votes
8 answers
How can something be greater than $100\%$?
Apologies, my mathematics is poor but I saw an advert recently which said: Up to $350\%$ more likely to quit How can something be greater than $100\%$? It can't be can it?
user401126
9
votes
1 answer
Find what percent X is between two numbers?
So I am working on a problem for a program I am making... Say I have two numbers: 10 and 100, than I have a variable. How would i find what percent the variable is between the two numbers? So: 45 is 50% between 10 and 100 17.5 is 25% between 10 and…
user3040452
- 93