The word “percentage” comes from the Latin phrase “per centum,” which literally means “by the hundred.” Percentages are fractions with a numerator of 100. To put it another way, it’s the relationship between portion and whole in which the entire is always valued at 100.
What is Percentage?
A percentage is a fraction or a ratio in which the full value is always 100 percent. For example, if Sam received a 30 percent on his math test, it implies he received 30 points out of a possible 100. In fraction form, it’s 30/100, and in ratio terms, it’s 30:100.
Percentage Definition
A part or quantity in every hundred is defined as a percentage. It’s a fraction having a denominator of 100 and is denoted by the sign “percent.”
Calculation of Percentage
Calculating a percentage is the process of determining the proportion of a whole in terms of 100. There are two methods for calculating a percentage:
The unitary technique is used.
By adjusting the fraction’s denominator to 100.
It should be noted that in circumstances when the denominator is not a factor of 100, the second technique of calculating percentage is not applied. We apply the unitary technique in such circumstances.
How to get a Percentage?
The term “percent” is another term for “hundredths.” As a result, 1 percent equals one hundredth of a percent, which is 1 percent =1/100=0.01.
Let’s use the two methods listed above to determine percentages.
When two or more numbers sum up to 100, the proportion of those individual values to the overall value equals that number. Sally, for example, purchased tiles in three distinct hues for her home. The following table lists the specifics of the acquisition.
| Colour | Number of Tiles | Rate per Hundred | Fraction | Written as | Read as |
| Yellow | 39 | 39 | 39/100 | 39% | 39 percent |
| Green | 26 | 26 | 26/100 | 26% | 26 percent |
| Red | 35 | 35 | 35/100 | 35% | 35 percent |
The percentages are easy to calculate because the total number of items is 100.
What if the total number of items isn’t equal to 100? In such cases, we convert the fractions to equivalent fractions having a denominator of 100.
Formula to Calculate Percentage
To get the percentage of a whole in terms of 100, use the percentage formula. You may express a number as a fraction of 100 using this formula. If you look closely, you’ll notice that all three methods for calculating percentages indicated above can be readily computed using the formula below:
Percentage= (Value/Total Value)×100
Percentage Difference Between Two Numbers
The percentage difference is the change in the value of a quantity over time expressed as a percentage difference. Sometimes we need to know how much something has increased or decreased in percentages, which is referred to as Percentage Change. For instance, a rise in population, a reduction in poverty, and so forth.
We have a formula to indicate the % change in quantity. When computing percentage differences, there are two scenarios that may occur:
- Calculate the increase in percentage.
- Calculate the percentage reduction.
How to Calculate Percentage Increase?
When a value is increased over time, the percentage rise refers to the perchange change in the value. For example, a growth in population, an increase in the number of microbes on a surface, and so on. The following formula can be used to determine percentage increases.:
Percentage Increase= (Increased Value-Original value)/Original value × 100
How to Calculate Percentage Decrease?
When a value is lowered over time, the percentage decline refers to the perchange change in the value. For example, a drop in rainfall, a drop in the number of Covid patients, and so on. The following formula may be used to compute the percentage decrease:
Percentage Decrease= (Original value-Decreased Value)/Original Value × 100
Points to Remember:
- Calculate the value of 1 percent and multiply it by the percent we need to find to discover the percentage of a whole.
- A percentage can be used to describe an increase or decrease in any amount.
- Converting fractions to percentages and vice versa is possible.
- Percentages can be changed back and forth. For instance, 25 percent of 40 is 40 percent of 25.
