Meaning of percent

The meaning of percent and how to read percent is the goal of this lesson. The lesson is concise and right to the point.

The figure below has 100 squares. There are 16 blue squares in the figure.

Since there are 16 blue squares out one hundred squares we say 16% of the figure have blue squares. 

By the same token, suppose that only 5 out of 100 squares were shaded. Then, we will write 5%

Keep reading to see more examples explaining the meaning of percent.

Sixteen percent = 16%

More examples explaining the meaning of percent

Look at the following 3 tables:

Table 1
                   
                   
                   
                   
x x x x x x x x x x
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   


Table 2
x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   


Table 3
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
x         x        
                   


Each table has 100 boxes.

In table 1, only 10 boxes out one hundred boxes have an x.

We say 10% of the figure have an x.

The symbol " % " is read as " percent " and percent means " per hundred " or
" out of one hundred "

For 10%, we can also say that 10 per hundred boxes have an x.

In table 2, 40 boxes out of one hundred boxes have an x.

Therefore, we can write 40%.

40% means 40 out of one hundred or 40 per hundred.

In table 3, only 2 boxes have an x.

Therefore we can write 2%.

Again, 2% means 2 out of one hundred or 2 per hundred.

What is the meaning of percent in real life?

1.

In a country in America, 2% of the people are rich. What is the meaning of the 2%?

It means that for every 100 people, 2 people are rich.

Notice that this will also mean that 4 people are rich out of 200 people.

2.

In a classroom 60% of the students are females. How many males are in that class?

We don't really know how many males are in that class since it is not given.

What we do know, however, is that if 60% of the students are females, then 40% are males.

This means that if that class had 100 students, 60 of them are females and 40 of are males.

Be careful when reading a problem!

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