1. Percent Formula
Part = Percent X Whole
Example: What is 32% of 25? Setup: Part = .32 X 25
Example: 15 is 12% of what number? Setup: 15 = .12 X Whole
Example: 25 is what percent of 7? Setup: 25 = Percent X 7
2. Percent Increase and Decrease
To increase a number by a percent, add the percent to 100 percent, convert to a decimal, and
multiply. To increase 60 by 25 percent, add 25 percent to 100 percent, convert 125 percent to 1.25, and multiply by 60. 1.25 X 60 = 75.
3. Finding the Original Whole
To find the original whole before a percent increase or decrease, set up an equation. Think of
the result of a 17 percent increase over x as 1.17x.
Example: After a 75 percent increase, the population was 5,879. What was the population before the increase. Setup: 1.07x = 5,879
4. Combined Percent Increase and Decrease
To determine the combined effect of multiple percent increases and/or decreases, start with 100 and then combine.
Example: A price went up 12 percent one year, and the new price went up 24 percent the next year. What was the combined percent increase?
Setup: First year: 100 + (12 percent of 100) =112.
Second year: 112 + (24 percent of 112) = 139.
That’s a combined 39 percent increase.