Word Problems on Percentage

Problem 1 :

The Salamanderville, there is a 24% chance it will rain on any given day. How many days of rain would you expect in 50 days ?

Solution :

Total number of days expecting rain = 50 days

The expected number of days that may rain = 24% of 50

= 0.24 (50)

= 12

So, out of 50 days, we can expect rain for 12 days.

Problem 2 :

There are 50586757 people in South Africa and 43% live in rural areas. How many people live in rural areas ?

Solution :

Total population = 50586757

Percentage of people live in rural = 43%

Number of people live in rural = 43% of 50586757

= 0.43(50586757)

= 21752306

Problem 3 :

21.7 million South Africans voted in the 1994 elections. 73% of them had never voted before.

How many people had never voted before the 1994 election ?

Solution :

Percentage of people who never voted = 73%

Number of people who never voted = 73% of 21.7 million

= 15.84 million.

So, 15.84 million people who never voted before 1994.

Problem 4 :

Sally either walks, cycles or drives to work. She walks about 15% of the time. In 100 days, how many times would she cycle ?

Solution :

Total number of days = 100 days = 100%

Percentage of days she walks = 15%

Percentage of days she cycles = 100 - 15

= 85%

= 85% of 100 days

= 0.85(100)

= 85 days

So, she will cycle on 85 days.

Problem 5 :

There are 1291 tuberculosis patients at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. 80% of them are HIV positive? 

How many TB patients are HIV patients ?

Solution :

Total number of patients = 1291

Percentage of HIV patients = 80%

Number of HIV patients = 80% of 1291

= 0.80(1291)

= 1032.8

= 1032

So, 1032 are HIV patients.

Problem 6 :

Top teenage T shirts printed 120 T-shirts. They sold 72 T-shirts. What percentage of the T shirts were sold ?

Solution :

Total number of T-shirts = 120

Number of T-shirts sold = 72

Percentage of T-shirts sold = (72/120) x 100%

= 60 T-shirts.