ACT Math : How to find percentage

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT Math

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Example Questions

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Example Question #1 : How To Find Percentage

Jack and Jill have saved up $3500 for a vacation to Bermuda. Package Deal A costs $2500 plus an additional 30% tax. Package Deal B costs $2400 with an additional 3/9 of the price added for airfare. Package deal C costs $3225 with an included 10% tax. Package deal D costs $1800 per person. Which package deal will save them the most money?

 

Possible Answers:

D

C

A

B

Correct answer:

B

Explanation:

Calculate the price of each Package Deal. A = $2500(1.3) = $3250, B = $2400 (1+3/9) = $3200. C = $3225, D = $3600. Remember that 1 = 9/9 for fraction addition. Package deal C’s wording is tricky, the tax is already included. Package Deal B is the best deal.

 

 

Example Question #2 : How To Find Percentage

Tim Duncan made 14 out of 16 free throws.  Tony Parker made 9 out of 10 free throws.   Danny Green made 7 out of 8 free throws.   Whose shooting percentage was the best? 

 

Possible Answers:

Tim and Danny were both equally the best

All three players were equally the best

Tim Duncan

Tony Parker

Danny Green

Correct answer:

Tony Parker

Explanation:

For Tim, his percentage was .875 or 87.5%.   For Tony, his percentage was .90 or 90%.  For Danny, his percentage was also .875 or 87.5%.  Thus Tony was the best. 

 

 

 

 

 

Example Question #1 : How To Find Percentage

Johnny earned 5 % commission on a car he sold for $25,000.  How much money did he make?

Possible Answers:

$2,000

$1,250

None of the answers are correct

$1,500

$2,500

Correct answer:

$1,250

Explanation:

$ sales x % Commission = $ Commission

25000 x 0.05 = 1250

Example Question #1 : Other Percentage

Joey buys a sweatshirt for $35 that was originally sold for $50.  What is the percent discount?

Possible Answers:

70 %

20 %

15 %

30 %

50 %

Correct answer:

30 %

Explanation:

Amount of discount = original price – new price

% discount = amount of discount ÷ original price

% discount = 15/50 = 0.3 or 30%    

Example Question #5 : How To Find Percentage

Bryan has white socks and blue socks in his drawer, in a ratio of 4 : 7. What percent of his socks are white?

Possible Answers:

64%

30%

36%

57%

75%

Correct answer:

36%

Explanation:

You divide the number of blue socks, 4, by the number of total socks, 11, giving you 36%.

Example Question #6 : How To Find Percentage

There are 9 marbles in a box, and 4 of them are red. 

What percentage of the marbles in the box are NOT red?

Possible Answers:

50%

99%

55%

45%

44%

Correct answer:

55%

Explanation:

There are 5 non-red marbles and 9 total marbles.

5/9 = 0.555, which is about 55%

Example Question #3 : How To Find Percentage

What number is 130% of 50?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Verbal cues are "is" and "of." Is means equals and of means multiplication.

So the equation to solve becomes  which equals 65.

Example Question #4 : How To Find Percentage

Sally earns 3% commission on a house she sold for $150,000.  How much money did she earn?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

So the equation to solve becomes   or  earned.

Example Question #1231 : Act Math

What number is 125% of 160?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Verbal cues include "is" and "of."  "Is" means equals and "of" means multiply.

So the equation to solve becomes  or .

Example Question #1232 : Act Math

A high school student spends a total of 90 minutes per day studying for the ACT, Monday through Friday, then 2 hours a day on the weekend.  What percent of their week is spent studying for the ACT? 

Possible Answers:

7.125%

6.8%

8%

6.25%

5.5%

Correct answer:

6.8%

Explanation:

The number of minutes in a week is:

The number of minutes spent studying is:

6.8%

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