Reading and Writing Percents

Rewriting a Percent in Fraction Form

To change a percent into a common fraction, rewrite the percent as a ratio in fraction form, that is, and then simply the fraction.

Examples: Rewrite 70% and 200% as common fractions.

and .

Examples: Rewrite 31.5% and 0.3% as common fractions.

Again we use the definition of percent and write the ratio in fraction form, but note that the numerator contains a decimal in terms of tenths. To eliminate tenths and change the numerators to whole numbers, we use ten as a multiplier and then simplify the fractions.

Note that the values and in the examples above are not in the form of common fractions. We needed to multiply by   to simplify each fraction since 31.5 and 0.3 are in tenths.

Examples: Rewrite and as common fractions.

Again we use the definition of percent and write the ratio in fraction form, but note that the numerator contains common fractions or mixed numbers. We use an appropriate multiplier and then simplify.

Note. Here are some basic percent-fraction equivalences that should be memorized for use with mental estimation.

Self Check Problems

Rewrite each percent as a common fraction.

2%	Solution
4.05%	Solution
	Solution
	Solution

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