To find a percentage of a number, the basic formula is:
Percentage of a number=(Percentage100)×Number\text{Percentage of a number}=\left(\frac{\text{Percentage}}{100}\right)\times \text{Number}Percentage of a number=(100Percentage)×Number
In other words, convert the percentage to a decimal by dividing it by 100, then multiply it by the number you want to find the percentage of. For example, to find 20% of 1,200:
20%×1200=20100×1200=0.20×1200=24020%\times 1200=\frac{20}{100}\times 1200=0.20\times 1200=24020%×1200=10020×1200=0.20×1200=240
So, 20% of 1,200 is 240. This method can be done mentally, with a calculator, or by using equivalent fractions in some cases. It's a straightforward and fundamental way of calculating percentages applied in many real-life situations such as discounts, statistics, and data analysis.
