Using Proportion To Solve Percentage Problems

🔑 Key Concepts

• Percent means “out of 100.”
• The word of usually identifies the whole.
• The word is usually identifies the part.
• A percent proportion can be written as part over whole equals percent over 100.
• Percent problems may ask for the part, the percent, or the whole.

✏️ Worked Examples

🧠 Math Vocabulary

• Percent: A ratio that compares a number to 100.
• Part: The amount being compared to the whole.
• Whole: The total amount or base amount.
• Proportion: An equation showing that two ratios are equal.
• Percent Proportion: A proportion that compares part over whole to percent over 100.

💡 Main Idea

In this lesson, students use percent proportions to solve problems involving is and of statements. The word is usually identifies the part, and the word of usually identifies the whole. Once students place the part, whole, and percent correctly, they can solve for the missing value using a proportion.

📚 What You Should Already Know

Students should already understand fractions, ratios, equivalent fractions, percents, and how to solve proportions. It is also helpful to know that percent means “out of 100.”

🚀 What Comes Next

After solving percent proportions, students can apply the same reasoning to percent word problems involving discounts, tax, tips, percent increase, percent decrease, grades, sports statistics, and other real-world situations.

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