Converting Fractions to Percentages: Understanding 4/15 as a Percent
Fractions and percentages are two ways to represent parts of a whole. Understanding how to convert between them is crucial for many mathematical applications. Let's explore how to convert the fraction 4/15 into a percentage.
What is a Percentage?
A percentage represents a fraction out of one hundred. The word "percent" literally means "out of one hundred." So, 50% means 50 out of 100, which can be written as the fraction 50/100.
Converting Fractions to Percentages
To convert a fraction to a percentage, we follow these steps:
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Divide the numerator by the denominator: In our case, we divide 4 by 15. This gives us approximately 0.2667.
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Multiply the result by 100: Multiplying 0.2667 by 100 results in 26.67.
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Add the percent symbol: We add the "%" symbol to indicate that the result is a percentage.
Therefore, 4/15 is equal to 26.67%.
Practical Applications
Understanding how to convert fractions to percentages is essential in various real-world situations:
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Sales and Discounts: If a store offers a 25% discount on an item, you can easily calculate the discount by converting the percentage to a fraction (25/100) and then multiplying it by the original price.
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Financial Calculations: When calculating interest rates or understanding financial statements, it's often necessary to work with percentages.
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Data Analysis: Percentages are widely used to represent data and make comparisons, especially in fields like statistics and research.
Summary
Converting fractions to percentages involves dividing the numerator by the denominator, multiplying the result by 100, and adding the percent symbol. This simple process allows us to express fractional values as a proportion out of one hundred, making them easier to understand and compare in many practical applications.