Find the Part
There are 3 general types of percent problems which you'll often encounter.
- Find the part (also called the percentage).
- Find the rate.
- Find the whole (also called the base).
Let's look at the first type: Find the part. Here's an example problem. Find 20% off of $12.
For this, it helps to look at how the 3 variables are related.
P = W•R where P is the part, W is the whole, and R is the Rate.
The Part is equal to the Whole times the Rate. In this problem, the whole is $12 and the rate is 20%. So the part must be $12 times 20%. I.e., 12 • 0.2 = 2.4, so the savings is P = $2.40. If we wanted to calculate the sale price, just subtract the savings from the original price... $12.00 - 2.40 = $9.60.
Now try it on your own!
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