Topic 6, Lesson 6-6 and Beyond Math Grade 6, Mr.

DiLullo

What are you expected to show in your answer, when a question asks you to, for example, find:
12% of what number is 0.81?

This question is similar to the questions we did in Lesson 6-5. It is the third scenario of using the
“part = percent  whole” equation that we started looking at in Lesson 6-5. (You can see the other 2
scenarios by looking back at the summary sheet that I made for Lesson 6-5.)
For these types of problems, please use the equation: part = percent  whole
For a question that you get, that you solve using this equation, you should:
1. Identify which number is the part, which number is the percent, and/or which number is the whole.
2. Fill in the equation with these numbers and a variable for the unknown, then
3. Solve for the unknown.
When you show your work in homework or a quiz/test, you should show work similar to the work shown in
steps 2 & 3, below. (And, of course, you are welcome to show step 1 if that helps you out. Also, it is
recommended to write the equation “part = percent  whole” somewhere on your homework or quiz/test, so
it is easier to fill in the equation, when you show your work.)

For example, to answer the question "12% of what number is 0.81?,” you should:
1. Identify which number is the part, which number is the percent, and/or which number is the whole.
12% is the percent.
0.81 is the part.
The “whole" is the unknown; we’ll use the variable, n, to represent it.

2. Fill in the equation “part = percent  whole”with these numbers and a variable for the unknown.
0.81  12%  n It is okay to skip this line, if you like, when showing your work, but you should
show:
0.81  0.12  n Convert 12% to 0.12 by dividing 12% by 100,
or move the decimal point 2 places to the left

3. Solve for the unknown.

0.12n  0.81 Re-order the equation, if it helps, to see the variable on the left side of the = sign

0.12n 0.81
 Divide both sides by the number in front of n
0.12 0.12

n  6.75 Use a calculator to calculate this answer

12% of 6.75 is 0.81