How to Find the Percentage of a Fractional Number

A fraction is a way of dividing a whole into parts. For example, if you eat 1/4 of a pie, you have eaten one slice of a pie that had four slices total. A percentage means "parts per hundred." For example, 50 percent means "50 out of 100." Converting a fraction into a percentage may seem daunting at first, but you just need to remember a few rules to make the conversion.

Instructions

1. Divide the numerator by the denominator. The bottom number of a fraction is the denominator, which tells you how many parts there are in a whole. The top number of a fraction is the numerator, which tells you how many parts of the whole are being referred to. To convert the fraction 3/4 into a percentage, begin by dividing three by four.

2. Multiply the result by 100. The easiest way to do this is to move the decimal point two places to the right. For example, when you divide three by four, you get 0.75. Move the decimal point two places to the right to get the number 75.

3. Add a percent sign. This shows that the preceding number refers to so many out of 100. When you write 75%, it is another way of saying "75 out of 100."

Tips & Warnings

• To convert a mixed fraction to a percent, follow the above steps and add the result to the percentage of the whole number. For example, to convert 2 3/4 to a percentage, convert 3/4 to a percentage (75%) and add it to the percentage of the whole number (200%) to get 275%.

References

• Math Forum: Fractions, Decimals, Percentages
• Math Mojo: Changing Fractions into Percent