Solve for 20% of 60: Arithmetic Calculation Example

Q: Why do I divide the percentage by 100?

Because percent means "per hundred"! When you see 20%, it means 20 out of every 100. So $ \frac{20}{100} = 0.2 $ converts it to the decimal you can multiply with.

Q: Can I use fractions instead of decimals?

Absolutely! You can calculate $ \frac{20}{100} \times 60 = \frac{1200}{100} = 12 $. Both methods give the same answer, so use whichever feels easier!

Q: What if the percentage doesn't divide evenly by 100?

No problem! For example, 33% becomes $ \frac{33}{100} = 0.33 $. You might get a decimal answer, and that's perfectly correct.

Q: How can I check my answer quickly?

Ask yourself: "Does this make sense?" 20% is $ \frac{1}{5} $ of something, so it should be smaller than the original number. Since $ \frac{60}{5} = 12 $, our answer checks out!

Q: Is there a shortcut for common percentages?

Yes! Remember that 10% = $ \frac{1}{10} $, 20% = $ \frac{1}{5} $, 25% = $ \frac{1}{4} $, and 50% = $ \frac{1}{2} $. So 20% of 60 is just $ \frac{60}{5} = 12 $!

Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations

00:00 Calculate 20% of 60

00:04 Apply the formula to convert percentages to fractions

00:14 This fraction is equal to 20%

00:21 Multiply this fraction by the desired number and proceed to solve

00:31 Factor and reduce wherever possible

00:38 This is the solution

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

1

Understand the problem

Calculate 20% of 60:

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll use the standard formula for finding a percentage of a given number:

Step 1: Identify the values needed for the formula. Here, the percentage is $20\%$ and the total is $60$ .
Step 2: Write the formula to calculate the percentage of the total. The formula is:

\text{Percentage value} = \frac{\text{percentage}}{100} \times \text{total}

Step 3: Plug in the values into the formula:

\text{Percentage value} = \frac{20}{100} \times 60

Step 4: Simplify the calculation:

\text{Percentage value} = 0.2 \times 60

\text{Percentage value} = 12

Therefore, 20% of 60 is 12.

3

Final Answer

12

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Formula: Percentage of number = (percentage ÷ 100) × total
Technique: Convert 20% to 0.2, then multiply: 0.2 × 60 = 12
Check: Verify 12 is 20% of 60: (12 ÷ 60) × 100 = 20% ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Multiplying by the percentage without converting to decimal
Don't calculate 20 × 60 = 1200! This ignores that 20% means 20 out of 100, not 20 whole units. Always convert the percentage to decimal first by dividing by 100.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

Calculate 15% of 100:

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do I divide the percentage by 100?

+

Because percent means "per hundred"! When you see 20%, it means 20 out of every 100. So $\frac{20}{100} = 0.2$ converts it to the decimal you can multiply with.

Can I use fractions instead of decimals?

+

Absolutely! You can calculate $\frac{20}{100} \times 60 = \frac{1200}{100} = 12$ . Both methods give the same answer, so use whichever feels easier!

What if the percentage doesn't divide evenly by 100?

+

No problem! For example, 33% becomes $\frac{33}{100} = 0.33$ . You might get a decimal answer, and that's perfectly correct.

How can I check my answer quickly?

+

Ask yourself: "Does this make sense?" 20% is $\frac{1}{5}$ of something, so it should be smaller than the original number. Since $\frac{60}{5} = 12$ , our answer checks out!

Is there a shortcut for common percentages?

+

Yes! Remember that 10% = $\frac{1}{10}$ , 20% = $\frac{1}{5}$ , 25% = $\frac{1}{4}$ , and 50% = $\frac{1}{2}$ . So 20% of 60 is just $\frac{60}{5} = 12$ !

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Solve for 20% of 60: Arithmetic Calculation Example

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