The percentage is quite essential in our daily lives. It is used for calculating the discounts in shops, statistical data, transaction in bank and day to day life. In order to divide in portion out of the full in proper way it is necessary to know how to calculate the percentage.

Origin of Percentage

The word percentage comes from Latin word per centum which means by the hundred. Later the Latin adverbial phrase per centum has entered in English as per cent. Moreover currently both the word merged as percent. Both the word percent and percentage has same meaning and interchangeable too. But in traditional approaches percent goes with the number and the percentage takes no number. We often say 23 %( 23 percent) and percentage of land without mentioning any number.

What is percentage?

Well percentage usually defines as the parts per 100 or out of 100. So it is a number that represents a fractional part out of 100 or in other way the fraction whose denominator is 100.  The symbol of percentage is %.

Illustration of percentage

Now if we say the student secures 80% marks it means the student has obtained 80 out of 100. Moreover in brief we can say that the student has got 80% marks.
The percentage can be expressed in both decimal as well as fraction. Example:
A half can be written
Percentage: 50 %
Decimal:
50%=50/100=1/2
Fraction:
50 %=( 50/100) =1/2


The process of calculating percentage

The process of calculating the percentage as well as the conversion of percentage is as follow:

Calculating the percentage:

Out of 80 oranges in a bucket if a person takes 20 oranges you can expressed in percent. To find 20 ranges as a percentage of 80 oranges at first calculate the fraction that is 20/80=1/4 then multiply by 100 and it will be ¼×100=25%.
So in unitary method
Out 80 oranges in a bucket the person takes 20 oranges
Out of 1 orange in a bucket the person takes (20/100) oranges
Out of 100 oranges in a bucket the person takes (20*100)/80 oranges = 25%
The person takes 25% oranges from the basket

Calculating the percentage of a percentage:

·         At first convert both the percentage in fraction to 100 or decimal
·         Then multiply both the fraction or decimal and the product will come
·         After that divide the product by 100 and put a percentage sign(%) after the result

Suppose calculate 50 % of 40%
So, 50/100*40/100=0.5*0.4=0.20
Now, 0.20/100=20%

Converting the percentage into decimal from:

·         At first eliminate the percentage
·         Then divide by 100
·         Finally move the decimal point two places to the left
Change 10% to decimal form
10%=10/100=0.10
Converting of percentage to decimal form

·         At first multiply by 100
·         After that  move the decimal point two places to the right
·         Then put the percentage sign after the number
Change 0.230 in percentage
0.230×100=23%

Changing percentage to fraction:

·         Eliminate the percentage symbol
·         Divide by 100. If the numerator has digit to the right of the decimal point then move the decimal point until the numerator becomes an integer. On the other hand move the decimal point of the denominator that is 100 by the same number of decimal places that the decimal point of the numerator has moved.
Change 62.5% to fraction
62.5%=62.5/100=625/1000=5/8

62.5%= == 

Changing fraction to percentage

·        If number is mixed fraction convert the number to proper faction. On the other hand no conversion is required for proper or improper fraction
·         Multiply the numerator by 100 and divide the product by denominator
·         Put  % sign
Change3/5 to percentage
(3/5)*100=60%
×100= 60%


The basic guideline for calculating the percentage discussed in brief. After going through the discussion it will be not easier to calculate the percentage but also it will be helpful for the daily life.