Step by step
The question
Question: 15 is 60% of what number?
60% of ? = 15
We write it like this: 60% of the number is 15.
15 is a part.
The whole number is what we want.
? = the whole number
Careful!
Many people work out 60% of 15.
But 15 is not the whole.
It is only 60% of it.
Careful: not 60% of 15 ✗
1 Write the percent as a fraction
Percent means out of 100.
So 60% is 60/100.
60% = 60100
60 and 100 can both be divided by 20.
So 60% is 3/5: 3 of 5 equal parts.
= 60 ÷ 20100 ÷ 20 = 35
2 Draw the whole
3 Find one part
3 parts make 15.
So one part is 15 divided by 3.
That is 5.
1 part = 15 ÷ 3 = 5
Every part is 5.
4 Find the whole
The whole is 5 parts.
5 times 5 is 25.
5 parts = 5 × 5 = 25
So 15 is 60% of 25.
5 Check
Let's check: is 60% of 25 really 15?
60% is 3/5.
Of means times.
25 divided by 5 is 5.
3 times 5 is 15.
60% of 25 = 35 × 25 = 3 × 5 = 15 (25 ÷ 5 = 5)
We get 15.
So it is right!
Let's look back.
First: write the percent as a fraction.
Then: draw the whole.
Then: find one part.
Then: find the whole.
Last: check.
Answer
5 parts = 5 × 5 = 25