helping granddaughter with math homework

[Thenryb]

Hi,
As to the teaching of math, in general, it is done very poorly. Many who teach it don't really understand it themselves. And what is taught is often the basics to become a mathematician rather than the general knowledge (and ability) needed by the average person.

The specific problem you lay out hinges on the definition of 'percent'. It comes from the Latin, and can be translated as 'parts per hundred'. So, 1 percent (1%) is one part in a hundred or 1/100 or 0.01. A 100 percent is 100 parts per hundred, or 100/100 or 1.

Now, since 100% is the same as 1, then 8 is the same as 800% by simple ratio. Then 1/3 is (approximately) 33/100 and so 8 1/3 is 833% (more correctly, since 1/3 is a repeating decimal, it is 833.33...%)

Hope that helped.

--Pete

It did. Thanks:)