SOLUTION: Please help me solve this word problem... A steel beam increases by 2%. Its initial length is 40 cm. What is its length after the increase? My guess is 40 + 2 but it is not

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Question 265570: Please help me solve this word problem...
A steel beam increases by 2%. Its initial length is 40 cm. What is its length after the increase?
My guess is 40 + 2 but it is not working out correctly!
Found 2 solutions by Alan3354, unlockmath:
Answer by Alan3354(69443) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
40 cm is 100% of its inital length
A 2% increase is 0.02*40
--> 1.02*40 = 40.8 cm

Answer by unlockmath(1688) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Hello,
Once we get what this (%) symbol means then it might help. To understand it let's use an example: 50% is also written as .50 or .5 or 1/2, the key here is when the %sign is taken away the decimal point is moved to the left two places. (75% is .75)
For the problem we would multiply 2% times 40 or rewritten as:
.02*40 = .8 cm
This is how much it will increase so the length will be:
40.8 cm
Make sense?
RJ
A new book I wrote might help you:
www.math-unlock.com