Lesson 4 – Percentages simplified
It’s easy to do the math on your calculator without converting the percentages to decimals.
But you must press the % sign on the calculator to get the right answer.
The CUPE National Per Capita Department often sees this miscalculation in the per capita reports.
Doing the math on a calculator without converting the percentage to a decimal number goes like this:
500
×
25
%
Now you try. I’ll wait…
- Do the math on your calculator.
Did you get the same answer?
Is your answer $125?
If you got $12,500, it’s probably because you forgot to enter the % sign after 25.
If that’s what happened, take a moment to try again. We will wait for you.
- Do the math on your calculator, if needed.
Did it work this time? Great!