How to Convert Percentages to Decimal Degrees

Create a pie chart after converting percentages to decimals, and then to degrees.

In order for a student to create a pie chart or a circle graph, he or she must be able to convert percentages in to a decimal. The decimal must then be changed into degrees. The degree of each item will give the student the information he or she needs to properly assign sections to the circle or pie chart so that other students can quickly process the chart to see what information it is representing.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook
• Pencil
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Turn your percent into a fraction before converting it into a decimal. All percentages are out of a total of 100, so the number 100 would go in the denominator (which represents the total number of parts it takes to make up a whole). The percent you are working with will go in the numerator since the numerator represents a part of a whole. For example, 15 percent written as a fraction would be 15/100.

2. Divide the numerator of the fraction you just created by its denominator to get its decimal equivalent. For example, 15 divided by 100 equals 0.15.

3. Multiply the decimal you just discovered by 360 degrees -- the total number of possible degrees within a circle. For example, 0.15 multiplied by 360 equals 54 degrees.

4. Repeat for each piece of your pie chart or circle graph. Double check to make sure the degrees in each piece, when added together, equal 360 total degrees.

Tips & Warnings

• Your teacher may require you to do the initial work by hand. Talk to your teacher to see if you can use your calculator just to double check your work.

References

• Barry University; Topic: Percent and Applications: Circle Graph; Martiza Simauchi
• University of Tennessee: Making a Circle Graph of a Sample Budget