A class is made up of 68% women and has 19 women in it. What is the total number of students in the class?

Answer 1

Best way to think about it is "19 is 68% of what number?" where the number is the total number of students.

So the equation would be 19 = 0.68x (need to change the percent to a decimal in order to calculate and divide both sides by 0.68).

If you use the proportion method, per William C's response, then the form is pct/100 = is/of, or

68/100 = 19/x (19 is the "is", x is the "of"). As you can see, the x will be larger than the 19, which makes sense. To solve, cross-multiply, etc. Answer is x = 27.9 (or 28 students).

Answer 2

68/100 = 19/x where x is the total number of students.

So x/19 = 100/68 and

x = 19(100/68) = 1900/68 ≈ 28

The total number of students is 28.