ACT Math : Percentage

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #81 : Percentage

 pound man has a body composition made up of  pounds of fat,  pounds of muscle, and the rest of other organs, fluid, etc. What is the percentage of his muscle composition (in comparison with his toal weight) if he increases his weight in body fat by ? Round to the nearest hundredth of a percent.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

As of right now, the man has  pounds of body fat. If this increases by , we he will gain  or  more pounds of body fat. This means that he will have a total of  pounds of body fat. Also, it means that his total weight will be  pounds. Therefore, his muscle, as a percent of his total weight will be:

 or 

Example Question #171 : Arithmetic

What is  of ?

If necessary, round to the nearest percentage.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To calculate the percentage of a percent, convert both percentages to decimals and multiply:

Example Question #22 : Other Percentage

What percentage of  is ? Round your answer to the nearest whole percentage.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To find what percentage  is of  simply divide  by . Thus we see that 

Example Question #23 : Other Percentage

Question 20

If Abraham’s collection in July is 40% of his collection at the end of December, how many stamps must have he obtained in December?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Abraham’s collection in July is 97 stamps. If that is 40% of his collection at the end of the year, his album must have  stamps.

Thus, he would have to get stamps to have that happen.

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Amount Of Sales Tax

Beth purchased $21.25 worth of groceries. The sales tax rate is 7.5%. What was her total bill?

Possible Answers:

$23.79

$21.93

$22.84

$23.41

$22.11

Correct answer:

$22.84

Explanation:

The tax is calculated by 0.075 * 21.25 = 1.59375 or $1.59. So the total bill is the cost of items purchased plus tax, which is $21.25 + $1.59 = $22.84.

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Amount Of Sales Tax

The last week of August is tax-free week.  If the standard tax rate is 8.25%, how much money would a shopper save buying a $50 dress and a $30 pair of shoes during tax free week?

Possible Answers:

$2.47

$7.25

$4.13

$6.60

$8.00

Correct answer:

$6.60

Explanation:

Tax = Total Cost * 0.0825 = (50 + 30) * 0.0825 = (80) x 0.0825 = 6.6 = $6.60

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Amount Of Sales Tax

If a stick of deodorant costs $4.29 with a sales tax of 8.75%. What will the total cost of the item be?

(round to the nearest cent)

Possible Answers:

$4.37

$4.76

$4.66

$6.47

$4.67

Correct answer:

$4.67

Explanation:

To solve for the tax charged multiply 0.0875 by the sales price of $4.29.

This is $0.375375. Add this to the original amount of $4.29.

The answer is 4.665375. Rounded to the nearest cent is $4.67

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Amount Of Sales Tax

On a grocery shopping trip you spent $15 on meat, $5 on cheese, and $25 on produce.  If the total bill was $48.15, what is the rate of sales tax on the food?

Possible Answers:

0.7%

6.5%

7.5%

0.75%

7%

Correct answer:

7%

Explanation:

Tax = Total Bill - Cost of Food = 48.15 – (15 + 5 + 25) = $3.15

Percentage of Tax = Tax / Cost of Food = 3.15/ (15 + 5 + 25) = 3.15 / 45 = 0.07 = 7%

Example Question #81 : Percentage

Regular sales tax is .  Saturday is a tax free day that applies to clothes.  You want to buy a pair of jeans that are , a pair of shoes that are , and a new shirt that costs .  How much money will you save if you want to go shopping on Saturday?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Total cost = $120 + $45 + $75 = $240

Cost of Sales Tax = 8.25% ($240) = 0.0825 ($240) = $19.80

Example Question #6 : How To Find The Amount Of Sales Tax

Jim buys a pair of shoes for , including tax. If the shoes were priced at , what percentage tax rate was he charged?

Possible Answers:

%

Correct answer:

%

Explanation:

Step 1: Find the amount of tax tax paid

Jim paid  including tax for shoes that were  pre-tax. Therefore:

Jim paid  in tax.

Step 2: Figure out the tax rate (What percentage of  is ?)

Set up a proportion and solve for :

Therefore, Jim paid an  tax on the shoes he purchased.

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