Step by step
The question
Question: 18 is 75% of what number?
75% of ? = 18
We write it like this: 75% of the number is 18.
18 is a part.
The whole number is what we want.
? = the whole number
Careful!
Many people work out 75% of 18.
But 18 is not the whole.
It is only 75% of it.
Careful: not 75% of 18 ✗
1 Write the percent as a fraction
Percent means out of 100.
So 75% is 75/100.
75% = 75100
75 and 100 can both be divided by 25.
So 75% is 3/4: 3 of 4 equal parts.
= 75 ÷ 25100 ÷ 25 = 34
2 Draw the whole
3 Find one part
3 parts make 18.
So one part is 18 divided by 3.
That is 6.
1 part = 18 ÷ 3 = 6
Every part is 6.
4 Find the whole
The whole is 4 parts.
4 times 6 is 24.
4 parts = 4 × 6 = 24
So 18 is 75% of 24.
5 Check
Let's check: is 75% of 24 really 18?
75% is 3/4.
Of means times.
24 divided by 4 is 6.
3 times 6 is 18.
75% of 24 = 34 × 24 = 3 × 6 = 18 (24 ÷ 4 = 6)
We get 18.
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
4 parts = 4 × 6 = 24