Stuck? Start here. Read the steps, try the problem, then check your answer.
I can…
I can find the percent of a number using an equation or a model.
Key words
Percent of a Number — A part of a number found by multiplying the number by the percent written as a decimal.
Percent — A way to compare a number to 100, shown with the % sign.
Base — The whole amount you start with — the number right after the word “of.”
Part — How much of the base (the whole) you get. It is your answer.
Equation — A number sentence with an equal sign. The percent one is: part = percent × base.
Discount — Money taken off the first price to make it cheaper.
Steps
The claw machine costs 60 tickets, and it is 25% off. I need 25% of 60.
Step 1 — find the base (the whole): the number after “of” is 60.
Step 2 — the percent as a decimal: 25% means 25 out of 100, so 25 ÷ 100 = 0.25.
Step 3 — multiply: 0.25 × 60 = 15.
The discount is 15 tickets. Check: 15 is about a quarter of 60, so that makes sense.
Try it
What is 45% of 360?
Check your answer
162
45% = 0.45. Multiply: 0.45 × 360 = 162. A student who answers 45 wrote the percent number itself instead of finding the part. A student who answers 315 subtracted the percent number from the base (360 − 45) instead of multiplying. A student who answers 180 rounded 45% up to 50% before multiplying (0.50 × 360). Always convert the exact percent to a decimal, then multiply by the base.
Sentence starter
I know ___ because ___.
Goal: I can explain my steps using the words percent, base, part, and equation.