Step by step
The question
Question: 48 is 16% of what number?
16% of ? = 48
We write it like this: 16% of the number is 48.
48 is a part.
The whole number is what we want.
? = the whole number
Careful!
Many people work out 16% of 48.
But 48 is not the whole.
It is only 16% of it.
Careful: not 16% of 48 ✗
1 Find 1%
16% is 16 lots of 1%.
So we find 1% first.
16% = 16 × 1%
1% is 48 divided by 16: 3.
1% of ? = 48 ÷ 16 = 3
2 Find 100%
The whole number is 100%: 100 lots of 1%.
100% = the whole
3 times 100 is 300.
100% of ? = 3 × 100 = 300
So 48 is 16% of 300.
3 Check
Let's check: is 16% of 300 really 48?
16% is 16/100.
Of means times.
16% of 300 = 16100 × 300
300 divided by 100 is 3.
16 times 3 is 48.
= 16 × 3 = 48 (300 ÷ 100 = 3)
We get 48.
So it is right!
Let's look back.
First: find 1%.
Then: find 100%.
Last: check.
Answer
100% of ? = 3 × 100 = 300