problem with percentages

**cosmo** · February 10th 2009, 11:04 AM

I am having a difficult time understanding how to get the percentage when the numbers are large.

EX:

What percentage of the total funds seized in 1994 was canadian

A 10.5 b 20.5
C 5.5. D 0.5

Canadian funds $3635 American funds $721,944 Total = $725,579

I have trouble dividing big numbers, I was wondering how I would find the whole number from the options for percents that are given.

Any help would be appreciated!!

**earboth** · February 10th 2009, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by cosmo

I am having a difficult time understanding how to get the percentage when the numbers are large.

EX:

What percentage of the total funds seized in 1994 was canadian

A 10.5 b 20.5
C 5.5. D 0.5

Canadian funds $3635 American funds $721,944 Total = $725,579

I have trouble dividing big numbers, I was wondering how I would find the whole number from the options for percents that are given.

Any help would be appreciated!!

You calculate percentages by

$p=\dfrac{individual\ value}{reference\ value} \cdot 100$

With your example:

$p=\dfrac{3635}{725579 } \cdot 100 = 0.5\%$

**cosmo** · February 10th 2009, 01:23 PM

Earboth

Thanks!! Can you tell me how I would do it if I only knew the total amount and the percentage? to get the Canadian funds total??

I guess backwards say I only know the total amount and the Percentage how would I get the Whole number from those two??

Hope that makes sense??

**Jameson** · February 10th 2009, 01:40 PM

Use the same equation: % = (given amount)/(total). Rearranging this gives us given amount = (%) * (total). Just make sure the percentage is a decimal.

**earboth** · February 10th 2009, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by cosmo

Earboth

Thanks!! Can you tell me how I would do it if I only knew the total amount and the percentage? to get the Canadian funds total??

I guess backwards say I only know the total amount and the Percentage how would I get the Whole number from those two??

Hope that makes sense??

I finally learned by Jameson the words which describes the values in question (thanks!).

The given amount and the total amount are compared with a scale from 0 to 100. (see attachment)

Now you can use proportions:

$\dfrac{given\ amount}{total} = \dfrac{percentage}{100}$

Let G denote the given amount, T the total and p the percentage then you have the equation:

$\dfrac{G}{T} = \dfrac{p}{100}$

You can now solve this equation for each variable:

$\dfrac{G}{T} = \dfrac{p}{100}~\implies~G=\dfrac{p}{100} \cdot T ~\implies~T=\dfrac{G \cdot 100}{p}~\implies~p=\dfrac{G}{T} \cdot 100$

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