Percentage Calculator: Understanding and Calculating Percentages

What is Percentage?

A percentage is a way to express a number as a fraction of 100. It is often denoted using the percent sign, %. For example, 45% means 45 out of 100, or 45/100. Percentages are used to describe parts of a whole, compare values, or express changes in quantities.

How to Calculate Percentage

To calculate a percentage:

• Divide the number you want to express as a percentage by the total
• Multiply the result by 100
• Add the % symbol

Formula

The basic formula for calculating a percentage is:

\[ \text{Percentage} = \frac{\text{Part}}{\text{Whole}} \times 100\% \]

Where "Part" is the number you're calculating the percentage for, and "Whole" is the total amount.

Calculation Steps

1. Identify the part and the whole
2. Divide the part by the whole
3. Multiply the result by 100
4. Add the % symbol to your answer

Example

Let's calculate what percentage 25 is of 80:

1. Part = 25, Whole = 80
2. 25 ÷ 80 = 0.3125
3. 0.3125 × 100 = 31.25
4. Add % symbol: 31.25%

Result: 25 is 31.25% of 80.

Visual representation of 25 being 31.25% of 80