Question

What percent of 60 is 12?

Answer 1

Hint: Assume that x percent of 60 is 12. Now, convert x percent into fraction by dividing x with 100 and removing the percent sign. Multiply this obtained fraction with 60 and equate it with 12. Form a linear equation in x and solve it for the value of x to get the answer.

Complete step-by-step solution:
Here we have been asked to determine a percentage of 60 that will be equal to 12. But first we need to understand the meaning of the term ‘percentage’.
In mathematics, percentage represents a number or ratio as a fraction of 100. For example: if we write 75% of marbles in the box are green in color then it means if there are 100 marbles in the bag then 75 of them are green parts. To change a percentage into fraction we divide the given percentage by 100 and remove the percentage sign.
Now let us come to the question. We are asked to determine the percentage of 60 that will be equal to 12. So, let us assume $x\mathrm{\%}$ of 60 is 12. Here $x\mathrm{\%}$ means x parts in a total of 100 parts. So converting $x\mathrm{\%}$ into fraction we get,
$\Rightarrow x\mathrm{\%}={\displaystyle \frac{x}{100}}$
Now, the term ‘of’ means multiplication in mathematics, so according to the question we must have,
$\Rightarrow {\displaystyle \frac{x}{100}}\times 60=12$
Solving the above equation for the value of x we get,
$$\Rightarrow x={\displaystyle \frac{12\times 100}{60}}$$
Cancelling the common factors and simplifying the relation we get,
$$\therefore x=20$$
Hence, 20% of 60 is 12.

Note: You must remember the basic definition of percentage to solve the above question. Note that if we have to convert a decimal or fraction into the percentage then we multiply it with 100 and include a percentage sign. Since percentage is a fraction multiplied with 100, so it is dimensionless in nature. It means percentage has no units and is a pure number.