24 is 120% of what

Step by step

The question

Question: 24 is 120% of what number?

We write it like this: 120% of the number is 24.

24 is a part.

The whole number is what we want.

Careful!

Many people work out 120% of 24.

But 24 is not the whole.

It is only 120% of it.

1 Write the percent as a fraction

Percent means out of 100.

So 120% is 120/100.

120 and 100 can both be divided by 20.

So 120% is 6/5: 6 parts, when 5 parts make the whole.

2 Draw the whole

3 Find one part

6 parts make 24.

So one part is 24 divided by 6.

That is 4.

Every part is 4.

4 Find the whole

The whole is 5 parts.

5 times 4 is 20.

So 24 is 120% of 20.

5 Check

Let's check: is 120% of 20 really 24?

120% is 6/5.

Of means times.

20 divided by 5 is 4.

6 times 4 is 24.

We get 24.

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.