Percent and Decimals

What is a Percent?
Percent means “per hundred” or “out of one hundred.” It’s a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100. The word “percent” comes from the Latin phrase “per centum,” which means “by the hundred.” The percent sign (%) is used after a number to indicate that it’s a percentage.

A percent can be expressed using the percent symbol %, for example:
10 percent or 10% are both the same.

A percent is equivalent to a fraction with denominator 100, for example:

40% of car sales = \( \frac{40}{100} \) of car sales = \( \frac{2}{5} \) of car sales

Percent and hundredths are basically equivalent. This makes conversion between percent and decimals very easy.

How to change between decimals and percents?
The following figure shows how to convert between percents and decimals. Scroll down the page for more examples and solutions.

Percent Worksheets:
Practice your skills with the following percent worksheets:
Online & Printable Percent Worksheets

How to change Decimals to Percents?
To change a decimal to a percent,

1. Multiply the decimal by 100 (or move the decimal point two places to the right).
2. Add the percent symbol (%) at the end.

For example:
0.15 = 15 hundredths = \( \frac{15}{100} \) = 15%.

Example:
Convert the following decimals to percents:
a) 0.45
b) 1.7
c) 1.023

Solution:
a) 0.45 = 45%
b) 1.7 = 170%
c) 1.023 = 102.3%

How to change Percents to Decimals?
To change a percent to a decimal,

1. Divide the decimal by 100 (or move the decimal point two places to the left).
2. Remove the percent symbol (%).

For example:
5% = \( \frac{5}{100} \) = 0.05

Example:
Change the following percents to decimals:
a) 65%
b) 135%
c) 12.5%

Solution:
a) 65% = 0.65
b) 35% = 1.35
c) 12.5% = 0.125

How to change decimal to percent?
Move the decimal point two units to the right and add the % sign

• Show Step-by-step Solutions

How to change percent to Decimal?
Move the decimal point two units to the left and remove the % sign

• Show Step-by-step Solutions

Convert between Decimals and Percents Song
Here’s how you represent a decimal as a percent.
Move the decimal point two places right; then
write a percent sign.
A decimal is a fraction whose denominator
is a power of ten.
A percent is a portion out of one hundred.
And the workload is minimal to convert a percent
to a decimal.
The decimal point moves left two places; then
the percent sign erases.
A decimal is a fraction whose denominator
is a power of ten.
A percent is a portion out of one hundred.
A decimal is a fraction whose denominator
is a power of ten.
A percent is a portion out of one hundred.

• Show Step-by-step Solutions

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