1. Percent. 2. Percentages. 3. Percentages converted to decimal numbers
1. Percent
- Percent is one hundredth of a given amount, is an amount calculated with reference to a hundred, hundredth, 1 ÷ 100 = 1/100, ie. a fraction with numerator equal to 1 and denominator to one hundred.
- The word comes from the Latin "per Centum", meaning "by the hundred". The latin word "Centum" means "100", for example a century is 100 years. So, "percent" means "per 100".
- Percent means 1/100, two percent means 2/100, three percent means 3/100, and so on.
- Although a fraction, the percent occurs in writing without the denominator (100), but only with the numerator, followed by the sign %: 1 percent = 1%, two percent = 2%, three percent = 3%, and so on.
2. Percentage
- Percentage is the "result of multiplying a quantity by a certain percent".
- So 10 percent (10 ÷ 100 = 10/100 = 10%) out of 50 apples is 5 apples (10% of 50 = 10/100 × 50 = 500/100 = 5) - the 5 apples is the percentage.
When do we say percent and when percentage?
- The word percent (or the symbol %) accompanies a specific number: around 60 percent (60%) of the people voted for a change.
- The more general word percentage is used without a number: the percentage of the people that voted for a change was around 60 percent (60%);
- Correct: 60 percent (60%) of the people; Incorrect: 60 percentage of the people;
- Correct: a higher percentage of voters; Incorrect: a higher percent of voters;
- Note: In front of the word "percent" use the number, don't spell it out: "60 percent" is right, "sixty percent" is rather not. Always use figures for ages of people (He's 43 years old), dates (May 26), monetary amounts ($80,000), percentages (60 percent) and ratios (2-to-3).
3. Percentages converted to decimal numbers:
- 1 percent, 1%, means 1 per 100, 1% = 1/100 = 0.01.
- 50 percent, 50%, means 50 per 100, 50% = 50/100 = 1/2 (half) = 0.5.
- 1 percent of 70 is: 1% of 70 = 1/100 × 70 = 7/10 = 0.7
- 50 percent of 70 is: 50% of 70 = 50/100 × 70 = 1/2 × 70 = 35.