Question 796096
To calculate a certain percentage of an amount, you multiply that amount times the percentage expressed as a decimal.
For example, 8% means 8 per 100, which is {{{8/100}}} as a fraction and {{{0.08}}} as a decimal.
So, to calculate 8% of 275, you calculate
{{{275*0.08=22}}}
 
{{{x}}}= percent (expressed as a decimal) that we are looking for
{{{86x}}}= that percentage of 86
{{{highlight(86x=12)}}} is the linear equation you need
 
Solving:
{{{86x=12}}}
{{{x=12/86}}}
{{{x=0.14=14/100}}} (rounded)
So 12 is about {{{highlight("14%")}}} of 86.
 
If we wanted to be more accurate, we could approximate {{{12/86}}} as {{{0.13953}}} or {{{0.1395}}}.
Then we would say the answer is {{{highlight("13.953%")}}} or {{{highlight("13.95%")}}}.
The fraction {{{12/86=6/43}}} is a never-ending repeating decimal. It cannot be accurately expressed as a decimal of any length, so we have to approximate by rounding to a fixed number of decimal places.