Percentage Calculator

Our free percentage calculator solves all percentage calculations, including finding percentages, determining what percent one number is of another, calculating percentage increases or decreases, and solving percentage problems in various formats.

Percentage Calculator
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Understanding Percentages: Calculations and Applications

What is a Percentage?

A percentage is a way to express a number as a fraction of 100. The word "percent" comes from the Latin "per centum," meaning "by the hundred." Percentages are used to express how large or small one quantity is relative to another quantity.

The percentage symbol (%) is used to indicate that a number is a percentage. For example, 50% means 50 per 100, or simply 0.5 as a decimal.

Basic Percentage Formulas

There are three basic percentage calculations that are commonly used:

1. Finding a percentage of a number

X% of Y = (X/100) × Y

Example:

What is 25% of 80?

25% of 80 = (25/100) × 80 = 0.25 × 80 = 20

2. Finding what percentage one number is of another

X is what % of Y? = (X/Y) × 100%

Example:

15 is what percentage of 60?

(15/60) × 100% = 0.25 × 100% = 25%

3. Finding the original number when a percentage is known

If X is Y% of Z, then Z = X / (Y/100)

Example:

30 is 40% of what number?

Z = 30 / (40/100) = 30 / 0.4 = 75

Percentage Increase and Decrease

Percentage change is used to describe the relationship between an old value and a new value.

Percentage Increase

Percentage Increase = ((New Value - Original Value) / Original Value) × 100%

Example:

If a price increases from $80 to $100, what is the percentage increase?

Percentage Increase = ((100 - 80) / 80) × 100% = (20/80) × 100% = 25%

Percentage Decrease

Percentage Decrease = ((Original Value - New Value) / Original Value) × 100%

Example:

If a price decreases from $50 to $40, what is the percentage decrease?

Percentage Decrease = ((50 - 40) / 50) × 100% = (10/50) × 100% = 20%

Common Applications of Percentages

Discounts and Sales

When an item is on sale, the discount is often expressed as a percentage. To calculate the sale price, you can use the following formula:

Sale Price = Original Price - (Original Price × Discount Percentage / 100)

Example:

If a $80 shirt is on sale for 25% off, what is the sale price?

Sale Price = $80 - ($80 × 25/100) = $80 - $20 = $60

Taxes

Sales tax, income tax, and property tax are all calculated using percentages. To calculate the amount of tax, you can use the following formula:

Tax Amount = Base Amount × Tax Rate / 100

Example:

If the sales tax rate is 8% and you purchase an item for $50, how much tax will you pay?

Tax Amount = $50 × 8/100 = $50 × 0.08 = $4

Total Cost = $50 + $4 = $54

Interest Rates

Interest rates for loans, savings accounts, and investments are expressed as percentages. The simple interest formula is:

Interest = Principal × Rate × Time

Example:

If you invest $1,000 at an annual interest rate of 5% for 3 years, how much interest will you earn?

Interest = $1,000 × 0.05 × 3 = $150

Tips

When dining out, it's customary to leave a tip for the server, usually calculated as a percentage of the bill.

Tip Amount = Bill Amount × Tip Percentage / 100

Example:

If your restaurant bill is $60 and you want to leave a 15% tip, how much should you leave?

Tip Amount = $60 × 15/100 = $60 × 0.15 = $9

Total Payment = $60 + $9 = $69

Conclusion

Percentages are a fundamental mathematical concept with countless practical applications in everyday life. Whether you're shopping for discounts, calculating taxes, determining interest rates, or analyzing data, understanding how to work with percentages is an essential skill.

Our Percentage Calculator provides a simple and efficient way to perform various percentage calculations, saving you time and ensuring accuracy. Whether you need to find a percentage of a number, determine what percentage one number is of another, or calculate percentage increases and decreases, our calculator has you covered.