The three formulas
| You want | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Marks percentage | obtained ÷ total × 100 | 850 ÷ 1100 × 100 = 77.27% |
| Percent of a number | number × percent ÷ 100 | 15% of 2,400 = 360 |
| Percentage change | (new − old) ÷ old × 100 | 50,000 to 60,000 = 20% increase |
A common mistake
A 20% rise followed by a 20% fall does not bring you back to the start. 100 rises to 120, and 20% of 120 is 24, so it falls to 96. Each percentage is taken of the value at that moment.