Step by step
The question
Question: 7 is 35% of what number?
35% of ? = 7
We write it like this: 35% of the number is 7.
7 is a part.
The whole number is what we want.
? = the whole number
Careful!
Many people work out 35% of 7.
But 7 is not the whole.
It is only 35% of it.
Careful: not 35% of 7 ✗
1 Write the percent as a fraction
Percent means out of 100.
So 35% is 35/100.
35% = 35100
35 and 100 can both be divided by 5.
So 35% is 7/20: 7 of 20 equal parts.
= 35 ÷ 5100 ÷ 5 = 720
2 Draw the whole
3 Find one part
7 parts make 7.
So one part is 7 divided by 7.
That is 1.
1 part = 7 ÷ 7 = 1
Every part is 1.
4 Find the whole
The whole is 20 parts.
20 times 1 is 20.
20 parts = 20 × 1 = 20
So 7 is 35% of 20.
5 Check
Let's check: is 35% of 20 really 7?
35% is 7/20.
Of means times.
20 divided by 20 is 1.
7 times 1 is 7.
35% of 20 = 720 × 20 = 7 × 1 = 7 (20 ÷ 20 = 1)
We get 7.
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
20 parts = 20 × 1 = 20