Lesson 16

Finding the Percentage

Let’s find percentages in general.

Problem 1

A sign in front of a roller coaster says "You must be 40 inches tall to ride." What percentage of this height is:

  1. 34 inches?
  2. 54 inches?

Problem 2

At a hardware store, a tool set normally costs $80. During a sale this week, the tool set costs $12 less than usual. What percentage of the usual price is the savings? Explain or show your reasoning.

Problem 3

A bathtub can hold 80 gallons of water. The faucet flows at a rate of 4 gallons per minute. What percentage of the tub will be filled after 6 minutes?

Problem 4

The sale price of every item in a store is 85% of its usual price.

  1. The usual price of a backpack is $30, what is its sale price?
  2. The usual price of a sweatshirt is $18, what is its sale price?
  3. The usual price of a soccer ball is $24.80, what is its sale price?
(From Unit 3, Lesson 15.)

Problem 5

A shopper needs 48 hot dogs. The store sells identical hot dogs in 2 differently sized packages. They sell a six-pack of hot dogs for $2.10, and an eight-pack of hot dogs for $3.12. Should the shopper buy 8 six-packs, or 6 eight-packs? Explain your reasoning.

(From Unit 3, Lesson 9.)

Problem 6

Elena is 56 inches tall.

  1. What is her height in centimeters? (Note: 100 inches = 254 centimeters)

  2. What is her height in meters?

(From Unit 3, Lesson 4.)