Step by step
The question
Question: 51 is 17% of what number?
17% of ? = 51
We write it like this: 17% of the number is 51.
51 is a part.
The whole number is what we want.
? = the whole number
Careful!
Many people work out 17% of 51.
But 51 is not the whole.
It is only 17% of it.
Careful: not 17% of 51 ✗
1 Find 1%
17% is 17 lots of 1%.
So we find 1% first.
17% = 17 × 1%
1% is 51 divided by 17: 3.
1% of ? = 51 ÷ 17 = 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 51 is 17% of 300.
3 Check
Let's check: is 17% of 300 really 51?
17% is 17/100.
Of means times.
17% of 300 = 17100 × 300
300 divided by 100 is 3.
17 times 3 is 51.
= 17 × 3 = 51 (300 ÷ 100 = 3)
We get 51.
So it is right!
Let's look back.
First: find 1%.
Then: find 100%.
Last: check.
Answer
100% of ? = 3 × 100 = 300