Answer/Discussion to 1a
82%

Dropping the percent sign and then moving the decimal two places to the left we get:

82% = . 82

Answer/Discussion to 1b
325%

Dropping the percent sign and then moving the decimal two places to the left we get:

325% = 3.25

Answer/Discussion to 2a
.64

Moving the decimal place two to the right and then putting a % sign at the end of the number we get:

.64 = 64%

Answer/Discussion to 2b
.0003

Moving the decimal place two to the right and then putting a % sign at the end of the number we get:

.0003 = .03%

Answer/Discussion to 3a

54 is 60% of what number?

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times. 

Since we are looking for a number, we will let 

54 is 60% of 90.
 

FINAL ANSWER: 

(return to problem 3a)

Answer/Discussion to 3b

50.4 is what percent of 120?

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times. 

Since we are looking for a percent, we will let 

50.4 is 42% of 120.
 

FINAL ANSWER: 

(return to problem 3b)

Answer/Discussion to 3c

A local furniture store is having a terrific sale.  They are marking down every price 45%.  If the couch you have our eye on was $800 before the markdown, find the decrease and the sale price.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times. 

Since we are looking for the decrease in price, we will let 

360 is 45% of 800.
 

FINAL ANSWER: 

(return to problem 3c)

Answer/Discussion to 4a

In 2001, what was the ratio of profit of toilet paper to profit of paper cups? 

What do you think the first part of the ratio, toilet paper or paper cups?  Since toilet paper is listed first, that is what our first number of our ratio has to correspond to. 

What is the percentage of profit attached to toilet paper?  Looking on the pie chart, I believe it is 10%.

That leaves the percentage associated with paper cups to be our second part of the ratio.  Looks like that will be 15%.

So the ratio of profit of toilet paper to profit of paper cups would be 10 to 15.  You can think of ratios as fractions, and simplify them in the same manner.  Since 10 and 15 have a greatest common factor of 5, we can reduce this to be 2 to 3.

Note that if you had started with 15 to 10, this would be incorrect.  15 to 10 would be the ratio of profit of paper cups to profit of toilet paper.  You write a ratio, just like you read it, left to right.

The simplified ratio of profit of toilet paper to profit of paper cups would be 2 to 3.

Answer/Discussion to 4b

If the profit for napkins in 2001 was 35% lower than its profit in 2000, how much profit was made from napkins in 2000?

What percentage or profit was napkins  in 2001?  If you said 52% you are correct!!!

So what would  be the profit of napkins in 2001?  When we take a percentage of a number, we write the percentage in decimal form and then multiply it times the number we are taking the percentage of.

Taking 52% of the total profit of 275 million we get:

143 million is the profit made on napkins in 2001.
 

Using this found information we need to find out the profit of napkins in 2000.

The question says that the profit for napkins in 2001 was 35% lower than its profit in 2000.

We are going to let x be the profit for napkins in 2000

We are needing an equation that represents the English phrase "the profit for napkins in 2001 was 35% lower than its profit in 2000". Going left to right, the profit for napkins in 2001 would be 143 million, was would be our = sign, 35% lower than the its profit in 2000, would be starting with the profit in 2000, which is x and subtracting 35% of that, which is .35x.  From all of this we get the following equation:

*Divide both sides by .65

Answer/Discussion to 4c

If the areas of sectors in the circle graphs are drawn in proportion to the percentages shown, what is the measure, in degrees, of the central angle sector representing the percentage of profit of tissues?

So what would be the measure of the central angle for tissues in 2001?  Keep in mind that a full circle is 360 degrees.  We are basically wanting to know what 12% of 360 degrees is.

When we take a percentage of a number, we write the percentage in decimal form and then multiply it times the number we are taking the percentage of.

Taking 12% of the total of 360 degrees we get:

The central angle sector for the tissues is 43.2 degrees.