Divide the top of the fraction by the bottom, multiply by 100 and add a "%" sign.
The Simplest Method is to Use a Calculator
Steps:
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Example: What is 5 8 as a percent?
Get your calculator and type in "5 ÷ 8 =", the calculator should show 0.625
Then multiply by 100 and your answer is: 62.5%
(Remember to put the "%" sign so people know it is "per 100")
OR you can multiply the top by 100 first then divide by the bottom number:
Example: What is 5 8 as a percent?
Multiply 5 by 100 first, then divide by 8
500 ÷ 8 = 62.5%
(Remember that "%" sign!)
Or Move the Decimal 2 Places
After dividing, instead of multiplying by 100 we can just move the decimal point 2 places to the right, then add the %
Example: Convert 1/8 to a percentage
Divide 1 by 8:
1 ÷ 8 = 0.125
Move the decimal point 2 places to the right
Remember to add the "%" sign: 12.5%
Another (Harder) Method
Percent means "per 100", so try to change the fraction to ? 100 form.Follow these steps:
| Step 1: Find a number you can multiply the bottom of the fraction by to get 100. |
| Step 2: Multiply both top and bottom of the fraction by that number. |
| Step 3. Then write down just the top number with the "%" sign. |
Example 1: Convert 3 4 to a Percent
Step 1: We can multiply 4 by 25 to become 100
(why 25? because 100 divided by 4 is 25)
Step 2: Multiply top and bottom by 25:
Step 3: Write down 75 with the percent sign:
Answer = 75%
Example 2: Convert 3 16 to a Percent
Step 1: We have to multiply 16 by 6.25 to become 100
(why 6.25? because 100 divided by 16 is 6.25)
Step 2: Multiply top and bottom by 6.25:
Step 3: Write down 18.75 with the percentage sign:
Answer = 18.75%
Yet Another Method: Proportions
Because a percent is actually a ratio (parts per 100) we can also use Proportions to do the conversion.
First, put what you know into this form:
Top of Fraction Bottom of Fraction = Percent 100
Then solve using "multiply across the known corners, divide by the third number":
Example: Convert 3 16 to percent
Fill in what you know:
3 16 = Percent 100
Multiply across the known corners, then divide by the third number. The "known corners" are top left and bottom right:
Percent = (3 × 100) / 16
= 300 / 16
= 18.75%
Answer: 3 16 is 18.75% (same answer as the previous example!)
Solution and how to convert 3 / 16 into a percentage
Fraction to Percent Conversion Summary
We encourage you to check out our introduction to percentage page for a little recap of what percentage is. You can also learn about fractions in our fractions section of the website. Sometimes, you may want to express a fraction in the form of a percentage, or vice-versa. This page will cover the former case. Luckily for us, this problem only requires a bit of multiplication and division. We recommend that you use a calculator, but solving these problems by hand or in your head is possibly too! Here's how we discovered that 3 / 16 = 18.75% :
- Step 1: Divide 3 by 16 to get the number as a decimal. 3 / 16 = 0.19
- Step 2: Multiply 0.19 by 100. 0.19 times 100 = 18.75. That's all there is to it!
Note that you can reverse steps 1 and 2 and still come to the same solution. If you multiply 3 by 100 and then divide the result by 16, you will still come to 18.75!
When are fractions useful?
Fractions are commonly used in everyday life. If you are splitting a bill or trying to score a test, you will often describe the problem using fractions. Sometimes, you may want to express the fraction as a percentage.
Convert 3 / 16 into a percentage or decimal
Fraction Conversion Table
| 18.75% | 3 / 16 | 0.19 |
Remember: Converting a fraction to a percentage or decimal are all equivalent numbers. They are all used to represent a relationship between numbers. We can choose how we represent numbers by which style matches the appropriate situation.
Find the Denominator
A percentage is a number out of 100, so we need to make our denominator 100!
If the original denominator is 16, we need to solve for how we can make the denominator 100.
Hint: percentages all have a denominator of 100!
To convert this fraction, we would divide 100 by 16, which gives us 6.25.
Find the Numerator
Now, we multiply 6.25 by 3, our original numerator, which is equal to 18.75
Convert your Fraction to a Percent
Remember, a percentage is any number out of 100. If we can balance 3 / 16 with a new denominator of 100, we can find the percentage of that fraction!
Help your students convert 3 / 16 through further understanding:
- What is the numerator of 3 / 16?
- What is the denominator of 3 / 16?
- When would you use 3 / 16 as a fraction? Give examples
- When would you use 3 / 16 as a decimal? Give examples
- When would you use 3 / 16 as a percentage? Give examples
- What are three other fractions that convert to 18.75%?
- Ask your students to think of three real life examples of when to use fractions vs percentages.
- Which fraction is larger: 3 / 16 or 77 / 213?