Q:

# How do you work out percentages without a calculator?

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A calculator is always helpful when determining percentages, but you can easily compute percentages without a calculator. A pencil and paper might be helpful as you do this.

1. ### Make the percentage a fraction

Determine what the percentage you are trying to find would be. For example, if you wanted to calculate 33 percent of a number, you would use the fraction 1/3.

2. ### Divide the number you are trying to find the percentage of by the denominator

Take the number you want to find the percentage of (for this example, assume it is 21) and divide it by the denominator, which is the bottom number of the fraction.

Divide 21 by 3 and you find that the answer is 7. This model works any time you want to find the percentage of a number.

Take the answer that you calculated and multiply it by the denominator. The answer you receive should be the number for which you were originally trying to find the percentage. In this example, multiplying the denominator of 3 by the answer you calculated, which was 7 verifies that the answer is correct because the result is the original number of 21.

## Similar Questions

• A:

Percentages are found by dividing the given amount from the whole and multiplying the decimal result by 100. In most cases, you need a calculator to ensure the proper amount, especially with regards to decimal spaces.

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• A:

To determine a percentage, divide the actual number by the total possible number, and multiply the result by 100. For example, if four out of five doctors agree on something, enter the equation in a calculator as "4 ÷ 5 x 100." The result, 80, is the percentage.

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• A:

No one person invented percentages. The concept developed throughout history. In Ancient Rome mathematical computation were expressed in fractions of 100. This concept later evolved into percentages.