In a roll of 50 dimes, 8 were minted before 1983. What percent of the dimes in the roll were minted before 1983?

Question

In a roll of 50 dimes, 8 were minted before 1983. What percent of the dimes in the roll were minted before 1983?

Answer 1

A percent is a number out of 100.  We can create a proportion so that it is equivalent to a fraction with a denominator of 100.  Since there is a total of 50 dimes in the roll, this will be the 100 percent mark.  The percent mark is the dimes that were minted.  So we have

 

8 / 50 = x / 100

 

 

50 times 2 is 100.  So if we multiply 8 by 2, we get 16.  Therefore, the equivalent fraction is

 

16/100

 

 

This gives you a clue of the percent.