Calculate 5% of 70: Detailed Percentage Problem Solved

Q: Why do I get a decimal answer instead of a whole number?

That's completely normal! Percentages often result in decimal values. Since $ 5\% $ is less than $ 10\% $ of 70 (which would be 7), getting 3.5 makes perfect sense.

Q: Is there a faster way to calculate 5% of any number?

Yes! Since $ 5\% = \frac{5}{100} = \frac{1}{20} $, you can divide any number by 20 to find 5% of it. So $ 70 \div 20 = 3.5 $!

Q: How can I check if 3.5 is really 5% of 70?

Work backwards! Calculate what percentage 3.5 is of 70: $ \frac{3.5}{70} \times 100 = 5\% $. If you get 5%, your answer is correct!

Q: What if I accidentally calculated 70% of 5 instead?

You'd get $ 0.70 \times 5 = 3.5 $ - the same answer by coincidence! But this won't always work. Always read carefully: '5% of 70' means 5 is the percentage, 70 is the whole.

Q: Why do we convert to decimal instead of keeping it as a fraction?

Both work! $ \frac{5}{100} \times 70 = \frac{350}{100} = 3.5 $ gives the same result as $ 0.05 \times 70 = 3.5 $. Use whichever method feels more comfortable to you!

Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations

00:03 Let's calculate five percent of seventy.

00:06 First, we convert the percentage to a fraction.

00:13 Five percent as a fraction is five over one hundred.

00:22 Next, multiply this fraction by seventy.

00:29 Now, let's simplify the result by factoring and reducing.

00:44 And there you have it! That's how you find the solution.

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

1

Understand the problem

Calculate 5% of 70:

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, let's use the given information and apply the percentage formula:

Step 1: Identify the given values:

$p = 5\%$
$x = 70$

Step 2: Apply the percentage formula:

According to the formula, to find $5\%$ of $70$ , compute $\frac{5}{100} \times 70$ .

Step 3: Calculate the result:

First, convert $5\%$ to a decimal: $\frac{5}{100} = 0.05$ .
Next, multiply this decimal by 70: $0.05 \times 70 = 3.5$ .

Therefore, $5\%$ of $70$ is $\mathbf{3.5}$ .

Matching this result with the provided choices, 3.5 corresponds with choice 4.

3

Final Answer

3.5

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Formula: Convert percentage to decimal, then multiply by the number
Technique: $5\% = \frac{5}{100} = 0.05$ , so $0.05 \times 70 = 3.5$
Check: Does $\frac{3.5}{70} \times 100 = 5\%$ ? Yes! ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Forgetting to divide by 100 when converting percentages
Don't just multiply 5 × 70 = 350! This ignores that percentages are parts of 100, giving a result 100 times too large. Always divide the percentage by 100 first: $\frac{5}{100} \times 70 = 3.5$ .

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

Calculate 30 over 100 as a percentage:

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do I get a decimal answer instead of a whole number?

+

That's completely normal! Percentages often result in decimal values. Since $5\%$ is less than $10\%$ of 70 (which would be 7), getting 3.5 makes perfect sense.

Is there a faster way to calculate 5% of any number?

+

Yes! Since $5\% = \frac{5}{100} = \frac{1}{20}$ , you can divide any number by 20 to find 5% of it. So $70 \div 20 = 3.5$ !

How can I check if 3.5 is really 5% of 70?

+

Work backwards! Calculate what percentage 3.5 is of 70: $\frac{3.5}{70} \times 100 = 5\%$ . If you get 5%, your answer is correct!

What if I accidentally calculated 70% of 5 instead?

+

You'd get $0.70 \times 5 = 3.5$ - the same answer by coincidence! But this won't always work. Always read carefully: '5% of 70' means 5 is the percentage, 70 is the whole.

Why do we convert to decimal instead of keeping it as a fraction?

+

Both work! $\frac{5}{100} \times 70 = \frac{350}{100} = 3.5$ gives the same result as $0.05 \times 70 = 3.5$ . Use whichever method feels more comfortable to you!

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