Write 3/8 as a percent

Step by step

The question

Question: write 3/8 as a percent.

1 Make the bottom 1000

Percent means out of 100.

So we want a bottom of 100.

8 does not go into 100, but it goes into 1000.

8 times 125 is 1000.

We multiply the top and the bottom by 125.

125/125 is 1, so the value stays the same.

3 times 125 is 375.

So we get 375/1000.

Percent means out of 100, not 1000.

So we divide the top and the bottom by 10.

375 divided by 10 is 37.5.

So we get 37.5/100.

Careful!

As a decimal, 3/8 is 0.375.

But 0.375% means 0.375 out of 100: far too small.

2 Write the percent

37.5 out of 100 is 37.5%.

3 Check

Let's check: go back.

37.5% is 37.5/100.

That is 375/1000.

Divide the top and the bottom by 125.

We get 3/8.

So the answer is right!

Let's look back.

First: make the bottom 1000.

Then: write the percent.

Last: check.