Question

If $50$ is $20$ percent of $x$, then what is $x$?

Answer 1

Hint: Here, in the given question, we are given that $50$ is $20$ percent of $x$ and we need to find the value of $x$. Here, $x$ is a variable. A variable is a symbol (usually a letter) standing for an unknown numerical value in an equation. A percent is a ratio whose second term is $100$. Percent means parts per hundred. Therefore, $20$ percent can be written as, $\dfrac{{20}}{{100}}$. As it is mentioned in the question, that $50$ is $20$ percent of $x$ and as we know, in algebra OF means to multiply. Therefore, we can write that $50$ is $20$ percent of $x$, as $\dfrac{{20}}{{100}} \times x = 50$, we will solve this to get our required answer.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Given, $50$ is $20$ percent of $x$.
This can be written as,
$ \Rightarrow \dfrac{{20}}{{100}} \times x = 50$
On canceling-out common factors, we get
$ \Rightarrow \dfrac{1}{5} \times x = 50$
Multiplying both sides by $5$
$ \Rightarrow \dfrac{5}{5} \times x = 50 \times 5$
On canceling-out common terms, we get
$ \Rightarrow x = 50 \times 5$
On multiplication of terms, we get
$ \Rightarrow x = 250$
Therefore, if $50$ is $20$ percent of $x$, then the value of $x$ is $250$.
So, the correct answer is “250”.

Note: Remember that OF in algebra means to multiply and BY in algebra means to divide. Remember that if we add the same number to both sides, or subtract the same number from both sides, or multiply both sides by the same non-zero number, or divide both sides by the same non-zero number, the balance remains undisturbed. Transporting means moving from one side to the other. When a term is transposed from one side of the equation to the other side, its sign gets changed.