SOLUTION: I'm trying to help my daughter with percentages but that is one of my weak points in math so if someone could help me out I would appreciate it. The question is: The two Largest Gr

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Question 26983: I'm trying to help my daughter with percentages but that is one of my weak points in math so if someone could help me out I would appreciate it. The question is: The two Largest Greak Lakes are Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Lake Superior has an area of 84,500 square kilometers, while Lake Huron's area is 63,500 square kilometers. How much larger is Lake Superior than Lake Huron. Her choices are [a] 52.5% larger [b] 19.8% larger [c] 27.4% larger [d] 33.1% larger. Thanks for any help
Answer by longjonsilver(2297) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Always try an "easy" sum if stuck with "odd" numbers:

how much larger is $4 than $2? answer? 100%
how much larger is $6 than $2? answer? 200%
how much larger is $8 than $2? answer? 300%

look at how you do these mathematically.

Percentage increments like this are based upon the fraction: (the difference)/(the ORIGINAL).

eg in "how much larger is $8 than $2?"
the difference is 8-2 --> 6 and the original is $2, so (6/2) ie 3 is the fraction. Multiply by 100 gives 300%.

Voila. Right then...
63500 upto 84500 gives a difference of 21000 and original is 63500.

So, fraction is 21000/63500 --> 210/635.
and the percentage is this multiplied by 100.
Answer is 33.07%
the question quotes it as 33.1%

jon.