Mastering the Basics: A Comprehensive Guide to the Percentage Formula

Understanding percentages is a fundamental skill that applies to many areas of life, from calculating a tip at a restaurant to understanding complex financial reports. This guide will break down the percentage formula in a simple, easy-to-understand way.

What is a Percentage?

A percentage is a number or ratio expressed as a fraction of 100. It is often denoted using the percent sign, "%". For example, 25% is equivalent to the fraction 25/100, or the decimal 0.25.

The Basic Percentage Formula

The formula to calculate a percentage is:

$$ \text{Percentage} = \frac{\text{Part}}{\text{Whole}} \times 100 $$

Example:

If you have a basket of 200 fruits and 50 of them are apples, what percentage of the fruits are apples?

• Part = 50 (the number of apples)
• Whole = 200 (the total number of fruits)

$$ \text{Percentage of Apples} = \frac{50}{200} \times 100 = 0.25 \times 100 = 25\% $$

So, 25% of the fruits in the basket are apples.