Math Is Fun Forum

  Discussion about math, puzzles, games and fun.   Useful symbols: ÷ × ½ √ ∞ ≠ ≤ ≥ ≈ ⇒ ± ∈ Δ θ ∴ ∑ ∫ • π ƒ -¹ ² ³ °

You are not logged in.

#1 2013-11-09 11:29:03

SuperLynx
Member
Registered: 2009-06-28
Posts: 335

Percentage of a Number ?

How do I calculate the percentage, one number taken away from another number; here is an example:

2345-1278 = 1067

What would be the percentage ?

Offline

#2 2013-11-10 04:22:22

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

Hi;

Percentage of what to what?

The 1067 to the 2345?

So you say about 45.5%

Or do you want the percentage reduction?


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Offline

#3 2013-11-10 04:34:00

SuperLynx
Member
Registered: 2009-06-28
Posts: 335

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

If I told you $2345 and you told me you only wanted to pay $1067 how much percentage would you want off, would that be the same as what you mentioned 45.5% ?

Last edited by SuperLynx (2013-11-10 04:34:22)

Offline

#4 2013-11-10 04:51:43

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

Subtract 2345 from both sides.

Divide both sides by - 2345.

You get .5449893390191898. So you would need a 54.49893390191898% reduction.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Offline

#5 2013-11-10 05:15:47

SuperLynx
Member
Registered: 2009-06-28
Posts: 335

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

If you subtract 54% from 2345 you get 1266.3 not 1278 ?

.54% that is a decimal, hrmmdunno

Last edited by SuperLynx (2013-11-10 05:18:02)

Offline

#6 2013-11-10 07:24:02

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

54% is not the correct answer that I gave you.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Offline

#7 2013-11-10 12:28:43

SuperLynx
Member
Registered: 2009-06-28
Posts: 335

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

I never said that was the correct answer you gave me ! <sigh>

I wanted to know where you got the decimal .54 from ?

2345-2345 obviously gives you 0 yet you say it gives 1067 ?

If I subtract 1278 from 2345 I get 1067

1278 / 2345 = .54

Are you saying that if you wanted to pay only $1278 from the original price of $2345 that would be a .54 or 54% cut ?

Offline

#8 2013-11-10 18:43:56

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

I never said that was the correct answer you gave me ! <sigh>

You are missing what I am saying. 54% is not the answer I gave you, you have rounded off the correct answer.

Post #4, that is where the 54.49893390191898% is coming from. If you keep doing your calculations as 54% you will have an error.

Are you saying that if you wanted to pay only $1278 from the original price of $2345 that would be a .54 or 54% cut ?

Nope, I am not saying any of that. First of all where do you get 54% from? I am saying if you take a 54.49893390191898% reduction you will come out with 1067 ( a number very close to it!).


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Offline

#9 2013-11-11 02:25:08

SuperLynx
Member
Registered: 2009-06-28
Posts: 335

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

You get .5449893390191898. So you would need a 54.49893390191898% reduction.

That is where I'm getting the 54 !

Offline

#10 2013-11-11 02:28:49

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

It is not 54, it is 54.49893390191898 %.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Offline

#11 2013-11-11 02:48:46

SuperLynx
Member
Registered: 2009-06-28
Posts: 335

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

I'm rounding as you said, when you round it's 54 !

Offline

#12 2013-11-11 02:52:41

SuperLynx
Member
Registered: 2009-06-28
Posts: 335

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

2345 - 54% = 1266

A little off from 1278, but close.

Offline

#13 2013-11-11 02:53:37

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

I never said to round in the calculation.

bobbym wrote:

So you say about 45.5%

That was just for convenience. If I were speaking that I would say about 45%. But in a calculation if you use a number that you say is about this then the answer is rounded also. That is why you are getting 1266.3 not 1278.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Offline

#14 2013-11-11 02:56:58

SuperLynx
Member
Registered: 2009-06-28
Posts: 335

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

2345 - 45% = 1289

I don't understand what you meant
>>>That was just for convenience. If I were speaking that I would say about 45%. But in a calculation if you use a number that you say is about this then the answer is rounded also. That is why you are getting 1266.3 not 1278.

Offline

#15 2013-11-11 03:00:13

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

2345 - 45% = 1289

The above statement is incorrect and in math correctly stating the problem is the difference between solving it and not solving it. You can not subtract 45% from 2345. You can subtract 45% of something from 2345.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Offline

#16 2013-11-11 03:04:56

SuperLynx
Member
Registered: 2009-06-28
Posts: 335

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

You can't subtract 45% from 2345, you can subtract 45% of something from 2345, show me an example !

Offline

#17 2013-11-11 03:08:14

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

If I get 45% off that is the decimal .45

If I get 54.49893390191898 % off that is the decimal .5449893390191898


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Offline

#18 2013-11-11 03:13:51

SuperLynx
Member
Registered: 2009-06-28
Posts: 335

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

In your example;
2345 - .45 what is that multiplication symbol after that, all I see is a dot ?

Offline

#19 2013-11-11 03:16:29

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

The dot between the .45 and the 2345 means multiply. It can also be written,


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Offline

#20 2013-11-11 16:33:37

SuperLynx
Member
Registered: 2009-06-28
Posts: 335

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

bobbym wrote:

The dot between the .45 and the 2345 means multiply. It can also be written,

Doing the above math always gives me 5497969.75 not 1289.75 swear

Offline

#21 2013-11-11 21:32:24

anonimnystefy
Real Member
From: Harlan's World
Registered: 2011-05-23
Posts: 16,049

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

That's because you are doing subtraction before multiplication. When there are no parenthesis, you do multiplication before addition and subtraction.


“Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.
“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
The knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Offline

#22 2013-11-11 22:35:20

phrontister
Real Member
From: The Land of Tomorrow
Registered: 2009-07-12
Posts: 4,810

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

Many calculators, particularly scientific calculators (eg, M$oft's scientific calculator), will automatically do the operations in the correct order (BODMAS) without needing to use parentheses, but simpler calculators (eg, that same M$oft calculator set to the 'Standard' option) usually won't.

For key presses "2345-.45x2345":
M$oft Scientific = 1289.75
M$oft Standard = 5497969.75

With my HP32SII RPN Scientific the key presses are:
2345
Enter
.45
Enter
2345
x
-
Answer = 1289.75


"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson

Offline

#23 2013-11-11 22:51:49

anonimnystefy
Real Member
From: Harlan's World
Registered: 2011-05-23
Posts: 16,049

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

Reverse Polish notation?


“Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.
“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
The knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Offline

#24 2013-11-11 23:18:25

phrontister
Real Member
From: The Land of Tomorrow
Registered: 2009-07-12
Posts: 4,810

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

Yes...which my HP48SX Scientific has too.


"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson

Offline

#25 2013-11-11 23:41:33

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Percentage of a Number ?

Doing the above math always gives me 5497969.75 not 1289.75

One problem at a time. Do you understand the percentage we are talking about?


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB