What is a percentage?
Percent means out of 100. The sign is %. So 50% means 50 out of 100, which is the same as the fraction 50/100. Percentages are a handy way to talk about parts of a whole group, and we use them a lot in real life.
Key idea
To find a percentage of a number, use the easy ones: 50% is half, 25% is one quarter, 10% is one tenth, and 100% is the whole thing.
Everyday percentages
We see percentages in shops, on test scores, and in the news.
- 100% means the whole thing.
- A bigger percent means a bigger part.
- 0% means none at all.
Worked example
A class has 20 pupils. 50% of them wear glasses. How many wear glasses?
50% means half. Half of 20 is 20 ÷ 2 = 10 pupils. So 10 pupils wear glasses and 10 do not.
Remember
- % means out of 100.
- 50% = half, 25% = a quarter, 10% = a tenth.
- 100% is all of it.