15. On a random Monday in the spring, 95% of students are present at school. If there are 589 students present, then how many total students are enrolled?

Answer 1

The first thing you should do with word problems like this is list everything you know:

1. 95% of all the students are present
2. 589 students are present
3. It's a Monday in the spring.

Remember that percentages are just fancy fractions: 95% = 95/100 = 0.95. We're trying to find how many students there are if 100% are present: 100% = 100/100 = 1. We know that 95% = 589 students. Therefore, if we can use this equation to turn the 95% into 100%, then we can find out how many students 100% is equal to.

1. 95% = 589 → 0.95 = 589 → 0.95/0.95 = 589/0.95 → 1 = 620 → 100% = 620

Now that we know the total number of students that are enrolled is 620 students.

Answer 2

Percent = Part/Whole Since they are asking us to find the total, the Whole is our unknown

Let x = Total number of students

0.95 = 589/x Multiply both sides of the equation by x

0.95x = 589 Divide both sides of the equation by 0.95

x = 589/0.95

x=620 total students