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 30 over 100 as a percentage:

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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