SOLUTION: FOOD: ----------- -------- restaurant choices: - other = 9% - Chinese = 21% - Italian = 29% - American = 41% ----------- ------- A sample of students was asked what type

Algebra ->  Percentage-and-ratio-word-problems -> SOLUTION: FOOD: ----------- -------- restaurant choices: - other = 9% - Chinese = 21% - Italian = 29% - American = 41% ----------- ------- A sample of students was asked what type       Log On


   

Question 242948: FOOD:
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restaurant choices:
- other = 9%
- Chinese = 21%
- Italian = 29%
- American = 41%
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A sample of students was asked what type of restaurant they visited most often. Their answers are shown on the circle graph. If 126 students chose Chinese restaurants, how many students were polled?
(Can you show me how to figure it out step by step please. And use fractions and exponents. Please and thank you.)
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Remember that a percentage is simply a fraction out of a hundred. For example, 50% is the fraction 50%2F100 (ie there are 50 cases out of 100).


In this case, the figure 21% (the percentage for those who chose Chinese restaurants) can be represented as the fraction 21%2F100. It turns out that if you multiply that fraction by the total amount of people (which for now we'll call 'x'), we'll get those 126 students. In other words, %2821%2F100%29x=126


%2821%2F100%29x=126 Start with the given equation.


cross%28100%29%2821%2Fcross%28100%29%29x=126%2A100 Multiply both sides by 100.


21x=12600 Multiply and simplify


%28cross%2821%29%2Fcross%2821%29%29x=12600%2F21 Divide both sides by 21 to isolate 'x'.


x=600 Divide and simplify.


So the solution is x=600 which means that 600 students total were polled.