eli5 The percentage rule

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Can someone explain how/why X% of Y is equal to Y% of X? I know it’s true but I can’t figure out why. Thanks!

In: 10

13 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Percent (the sign of percent is %) means the number of something per 100, so 5 percent is 5 per 100, 1 percent is 1 per 100, 100 percent is 100 per 100.

Per is the same as splitting something up:
100 percent = 100 cakes split up between 100 people = 1 cake each
50 percent = 50 cakes split up between 100 = half a cake each
10 percent = 10 cakes split up between 100 = a 10th of a cake each

Remember that percent means 1 per 100.
So 20 percent (20 times 1 cake split up between 100) becomes “20 times 1 per 100” and 40 percent becomes “40 times 1 per 100”

We write it like this:
20 percent of 40 cakes = 20 * 1/100 * 40 cakes = 8 cakes
40 percent of 20 cakes = 40 * 1/100 * 20 cakes = 8 cakes
You can see that they are the same, well remember 2 + 1 is the same as 1 + 2 & 1 * 2 is the same as 2 * 1; you can move these numbers around a bit.
So 40 * 20 * 1/100 = 8
and 1/100 * 20 * 40 = 8

Lets stop talking about cake.
20 * 1/100 * 40 = 8
40 * 1/100 * 20 = 8
And turn 1/100 back into the percent sign % from the start
20% of 40 = 8
40% of 20 = 8

X% of Y = Y% of X

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Can someone explain how/why X% of Y is equal to Y% of X? I know it’s true but I can’t figure out why. Thanks!

In: 10

13 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Percent (the sign of percent is %) means the number of something per 100, so 5 percent is 5 per 100, 1 percent is 1 per 100, 100 percent is 100 per 100.

Per is the same as splitting something up:
100 percent = 100 cakes split up between 100 people = 1 cake each
50 percent = 50 cakes split up between 100 = half a cake each
10 percent = 10 cakes split up between 100 = a 10th of a cake each

Remember that percent means 1 per 100.
So 20 percent (20 times 1 cake split up between 100) becomes “20 times 1 per 100” and 40 percent becomes “40 times 1 per 100”

We write it like this:
20 percent of 40 cakes = 20 * 1/100 * 40 cakes = 8 cakes
40 percent of 20 cakes = 40 * 1/100 * 20 cakes = 8 cakes
You can see that they are the same, well remember 2 + 1 is the same as 1 + 2 & 1 * 2 is the same as 2 * 1; you can move these numbers around a bit.
So 40 * 20 * 1/100 = 8
and 1/100 * 20 * 40 = 8

Lets stop talking about cake.
20 * 1/100 * 40 = 8
40 * 1/100 * 20 = 8
And turn 1/100 back into the percent sign % from the start
20% of 40 = 8
40% of 20 = 8

X% of Y = Y% of X

You are viewing 1 out of 13 answers, click here to view all answers.