How to Solve Percent Problems: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students

Math

Mar 7

I’ve noticed something over the last five years: students are consistently struggling to understand how to solve for percent. If I had a dime for every session I spent working on percent with a student, I would have at least seven dollars, which is too many!

Percent and how to solve it are typically introduced any time between 5th and 7th grade, and something is not clicking with students. If you or someone you know struggles with this concept, please share this article series with them!

The Basics

Percent is a fancy way of saying “a part of a whole.” This means that if I had a pizza and took a slice, then that slice would be a percent of the whole pizza. It would be part of a whole.

There are eight slices, and I am about to take one.

Thus, I have taken **1/8 of the pizza**, which is also **0.125 of the pizza** or **12.5% of the pizza**. All of these numbers have the same value and mean the same thing.

Converting Fractions to decimals

Start with your fraction.
- Fractions are written in code. The top number is being divided by the bottom. The line separating the two numbers means divided by.
Grab your calculator or piece of paper. Remember the top number is being divided by the bottom number.
Solve until you have a finalized decimal (typically three spaces after the decimal).

Converting Decimals to Fractions

Start with your decimal.
- Remember your place values. The first place value after a decimal is the tenths space. The second is the hundredths. The Third is the thousandths.
Count how far out the numbers go after the decimal. What place value did you get to?
Whatever that place value is, put your number over that value.
- For example, 0.6 would translate to 6/10 since the 6 is in the tenths place.
- 0.75 would translate to 75/100 since the 5 is in the hundredths place.
- 0.698 would translate to 698/1000 since the 8 is in the thousandths place.

4. Reduce your fraction as necessary.

Finding Percent from fractions and decimals

It is very important to note that you cannot get straight to a percent from a fraction. You must first convert your fractions into a decimal.

Find your decimal or convert your fraction to a decimal.
Take your decimal and multiply it by 100.
- Everything percent is out of 100. Think about your tests. If you make an 89%, it is an 89 out of 100. 100 represents the whole.
Once complete, slap a percent sign next to your number. That is its percent!