Convert Fraction to Percentage: Calculate 12/20 as a Percent

Q: Why do I divide 12 by 20 instead of 20 by 12?

The fraction $ \frac{12}{20} $ means 12 divided by 20. The numerator (top number) is always divided by the denominator (bottom number). Doing it backwards gives you 166.7%, which doesn't make sense here!

Q: Can I simplify the fraction first before converting?

Yes! $ \frac{12}{20} = \frac{3}{5} $ after dividing both by 4. Then $ \frac{3}{5} = 0.6 = 60\% $. Either way works - use whichever feels easier!

Q: How do I know when to stop dividing?

For percentages, you usually need 1-2 decimal places. Since 12 ÷ 20 = 0.6 exactly, there's no need to continue. If you get repeating decimals, round to 2 decimal places.

Q: What if I get a percentage over 100%?

That's possible when the numerator is larger than the denominator! For example, $ \frac{25}{20} = 125\% $. This means the part is bigger than the whole, which happens in some real-world situations.

Q: Is there a shortcut for common fractions?

Memorize these! $ \frac{1}{2} = 50\% $, $ \frac{1}{4} = 25\% $, $ \frac{3}{4} = 75\% $. For $ \frac{12}{20} $, notice it simplifies to $ \frac{3}{5} $, so you can think: 3 out of 5 parts = 60%.

Fraction to Percentage with Division Method

Calculate 12 over 20 as a percentage:

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations

00:00 Calculate 12 as a percentage of 20

00:04 Apply the formula to calculate the percentages

00:10 Divide the number by the second number and proceed to multiply by 100

00:20 Break down into factors and reduce wherever possible

00:35 This is the solution

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

Understand the problem

Calculate 12 over 20 as a percentage:

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

Step 1: Divide 12 by 20.
Step 2: Multiply the result by 100 to convert the decimal to a percentage.

Now, let's work through each step:

Step 1: We start by calculating the fraction of 12 over 20.

$\frac{12}{20} = 0.6$

Step 2: Convert the decimal 0.6 into a percentage by multiplying by 100.

$0.6 \times 100 = 60$

Therefore, 12 over 20 as a percentage is 60%.

Final Answer

60%

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Rule: Divide numerator by denominator to get decimal first
Technique: Multiply decimal by 100: 0.6 × 100 = 60%
Check: Verify 60% of 20 equals 12: 0.6 × 20 = 12 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Forgetting to multiply decimal by 100
Don't leave your answer as 0.6 = wrong format! A decimal isn't a percentage - 0.6 means 6/10, not 60%. Always multiply the decimal by 100 to convert to percentage form.

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 divide 12 by 20 instead of 20 by 12?

The fraction $\frac{12}{20}$ means 12 divided by 20. The numerator (top number) is always divided by the denominator (bottom number). Doing it backwards gives you 166.7%, which doesn't make sense here!

Can I simplify the fraction first before converting?

Yes! $\frac{12}{20} = \frac{3}{5}$ after dividing both by 4. Then $\frac{3}{5} = 0.6 = 60\%$ . Either way works - use whichever feels easier!

How do I know when to stop dividing?

For percentages, you usually need 1-2 decimal places. Since 12 ÷ 20 = 0.6 exactly, there's no need to continue. If you get repeating decimals, round to 2 decimal places.

What if I get a percentage over 100%?

That's possible when the numerator is larger than the denominator! For example, $\frac{25}{20} = 125\%$ . This means the part is bigger than the whole, which happens in some real-world situations.

Is there a shortcut for common fractions?

Memorize these! $\frac{1}{2} = 50\%$ , $\frac{1}{4} = 25\%$ , $\frac{3}{4} = 75\%$ . For $\frac{12}{20}$ , notice it simplifies to $\frac{3}{5}$ , so you can think: 3 out of 5 parts = 60%.

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