Convert Percents to Fractions

To convert a Percent to a Fraction follow these steps:

Step 1: Write down the percent divided by 100. Step 2: If the percent is not a whole number, then multiply both top and bottom by 10 for every number after the decimal point. (For example, if there is one number after the decimal, then use 10, if there are two then use 100, etc.) Step 3: Simplify (or reduce) the fraction

Example: Express 11% as a fraction

Step 1: Write down:

11 100
Step 2: The percent is a whole number, so no need for step 2. Step 3: The fraction cannot be simplified further.

Answer =
Step 1: Write down:

11

/100

Example: Express 75% as a fraction

75 100
Step 2: The percent is a whole number, so no need for step 2. Step 3: Simplify the fraction (this took me two steps, you may be able to do it one!):

75 100

15 20

3 4

5
3

Answer = /4
Note: 75/100 is called a decimal fraction and 3/4 is called a common fraction !

Example: Express 62.5% as a fraction

Step 1: Write down:

62.5 100
Step 2: Multiply both top and bottom by 10 (because there is 1 digit after the decimal place)

10

62.5 100

625 1,000

10
(See how this neatly makes the top a whole number?) Step 3: Simplify the fraction (this took me two steps, you may be able to do it one!) :

25

625 1,000

25 40

5 8

25

5
5

Answer = /8

Example: Express 150% as a fraction

Step 1: Write down:

150 100
Step 2: The percent is a whole number, so no need for step 2. Step 3: Simplify the fraction (I did it one step):

50

150 100

3 2

50

Answer = /2
(which also equals 1, see Mixed Fractions)

Percentages can be written as decimals by moving the decimal point two places to the left:

Decimals can be written as a percentages by moving the decimal point two places to the right:

Formula for calculating percentages

The formula for calculating percentages or for converting from percentages are relatively simple. To convert a fraction or decimal to a percentage, multiply by 100:

To convert a percentage to a fraction, divide by 100 and reduce the fraction (if possible):

Examples of percentage calculations

The following two examples show how to calculate percentages. 1) 12 people out of a total of 25 were female. What percentage were female?

2) The price of a $1.50 candy bar was to be increased by 20%. What was the new price?

3) The tax on an item is $6.00. The tax rate is 15%. What is the price without tax?

This Percentage Chart shows what 15% of $1 through $100 is although it is customizable so you can set the percentage and the numbers to whatever you want.

Handy

Tip:

good

way

of

finding

percentages is to start by finding what 1% is. Example: What is 6% of 31? Find 1%. Divide by 100 (or move the decimal point two places to the left) We now know what 1% is. We just need to multiply it by 6 to find 6% 6% of 31 is 1.86 31 100 = .31

.31 x 6 = 1.86

Decimals, Fractions and Percentages

Decimals, Fractions and Percentages are just different ways of showing the same value: A Half can be written...
1

As a fraction: As a decimal: As a percentage:

/2

0.5 50%

A Quarter can be written...

1

As a fraction: As a decimal: As a percentage:

/4

0.25 25%

Example Values
Here is a table of commonly occuring values shown in Percent, Decimal and Fraction form:

Percent
1% 5% 10% 12% 20% 25% 331/3% 50% 75% 80% 90% 99% 100% 125% 150% 200%

Decimal
0.01 0.05 0.1 0.125 0.2 0.25 0.333... 0.5 0.75 0.8 0.9 0.99 1 1.25 1.5 2

Fraction
1

/100 /20 /10 /8 /5 /4 /3 /2 /4 /5

1 1

1 1 1 1 1 3 4 9 99

/10 /100

5 3

/4 /2

Conversions

From Percent to Decimal

To convert from percent to decimal: divide by 100, and remove the "%" sign. The easiest way to divide by 100 is to move the decimal point 2 places to the left. So: From Percent To Decimal

move the decimal point 2 places to the left, and remove the "%" sign.

From Decimal to Percent

To convert from decimal to percent: multiply by 100, and add a "%" sign. The easiest way to multiply by 100 is to move the decimal point 2 places to the right. So: From Decimal To Percent

move the decimal point 2 places to the right, and add the "%" sign.

From Fraction to Decimal

The easiest way to convert a fraction to a decimal is to divide the top number by the bottom number (divide the numerator by the denominator in mathematical language)

Example: Convert 2/5 to a decimal

Divide 2 by 5: 2 5 = 0.4 Answer: 2/5 = 0.4

From Decimal to Fraction

To convert a decimal to a fraction needs a little more work.

Example: To convert 0.75 to a fraction Steps

First, write down the decimal "over" the number 1

Example
0.75

Then multiply top and bottom by 10 for every number after the decimal point (10 for 1 number, 100 for 2 numbers, etc) (This makes it a correctly formed fraction) Then Simplify the fraction

0.75 100

/ /
4

1 100

75 3

100

From Fraction to Percentage

The easiest way to convert a fraction to a percentage is to divide the top number by the bottom number. then multiply the result by 100, and add the "%" sign.

Example: Convert 3/8 to a percentage

First divide 3 by 8: 3 8 = 0.375, Then multiply by 100: 0.375 x 100 = 37.5 Add the "%" sign: 37.5% Answer: 3/8 = 37.5%

From Percentage to Fraction

To convert a percentage to a fraction, first convert to a decimal (divide by 100), then use the steps for converting decimal to fractions (like above).

Example: To convert 80% to a fraction Steps

Convert 80% to a decimal (=80/100): Write down the decimal "over" the number 1

Example

0.8
0.8

Then multiply top and bottom by 10 for every number after the decimal point (10 for 1 number, 100 for 2 numbers, etc) (This makes it a correctly formed fraction) Then Simplify the fraction

0.8 10

/ /

1 10

=
4

10