Express 61% as a decimal

Express 61% as a decimal. Select one:

a. 6.1

b. 6100

c. 610

d. 0.61

The correct answer and explanation is:

The correct answer is: d. 0.61

Explanation:

To convert a percentage to a decimal, you divide the percentage value by 100 because the term “percent” literally means “per hundred.” So, 61% means 61 per 100.

Step-by-step:

1. Start with the percentage:
   61%
2. Write it as a fraction:
   61% = 61/100
3. Convert the fraction to a decimal by dividing:
   61 ÷ 100 = 0.61

Therefore, 61% expressed as a decimal is 0.61.

Why the other options are incorrect:

• a. 6.1
  This is 10 times larger than the correct decimal. It would be equivalent to 610%, which is not the same as 61%.
• b. 6100
  This is 6100 as a whole number, which is way larger than 61%. It doesn’t make sense to express a percentage directly as a whole number without adjusting the scale.
• c. 610
  This again is too large and doesn’t relate to 61% when converting to decimal.

Additional context:

Percentages are often used to describe proportions out of 100. When working with calculations in math or science, percentages are often converted into decimals to make multiplication and other arithmetic easier.

For example, if you want to find 61% of 50, you can convert 61% to 0.61 and multiply: 0.61×50=30.50.61 \times 50 = 30.5

This is much easier and less error-prone than working directly with the percentage.