Introduction Have you ever seen a 5% discount in a shop or needed to calculate a 15% tip? All percentage calculations, no matter how complex, are built on one simple, core skill: finding 1 percent .
The word "percent" literally means "per hundred." So, 1% is simply one part out of one hundred .
Once you know how to find 1% of a number, you can easily find any other percentage.
To find 5%, you just find 1% and multiply it by 5. To find 20%, you find 1% and multiply it by 20. To find 72%, you find 1% and multiply it by 72. This guide will show you the one simple trick to find 1% of any number instantly.
The Key Method: Finding 1% Because 1% means "one out of one hundred" (£1/100£), finding 1% of a number is the same as dividing that number by 100 .
The fastest way to divide any number by 100 is to move the decimal point two places to the left.
That's the entire trick.
Worked Example 1: A simple number Find 1% of 300.
The number is 300. The decimal point is at the end: 300. Move the decimal two places to the left: 3.00 Answer: 1% of 300 is 3 . Worked Example 2: A number with no zeros Find 1% of 189.
The number is 189. The decimal point is at the end: 189. Move the decimal two places to the left: 1.89 Answer: 1% of 189 is 1.89 . Worked Example 3: A number that already has a decimal Find 1% of 84.5.
The number is 84.5. Move the decimal two places to the left: 0.845 Answer: 1% of 84.5 is 0.845 . Worked Example 4: A very small decimal number Find 1% of 0.7.
The number is 0.7. Move the decimal two places to the left. We need to add zeros for the empty spaces: 0.007 Answer: 1% of 0.7 is 0.007 . Practice Questions & Solutions Score:
Solution
To find 1% of 500, we move the decimal point two places to the left.
500. becomes 5.00
Answer: 5
Solution
To find 1% of 900, we move the decimal point two places to the left.
900. becomes 9.00
Answer: 9
Solution
o find 1% of 250, we move the decimal point two places to the left.
250. becomes 2.50
Answer: 2.5
Solution
To find 1% of 476, we move the decimal point two places to the left.
476. becomes 4.76
Answer: 4.76
Solution
To find 1% of 81, we move the decimal point two places to the left.
81. becomes 0.81
Answer: 0.81
6 A t-shirt costs £40. How much is 1% of its price?
Solution
To find 1% of £40, we move the decimal point two places to the left.
40. becomes 0.40
Answer: £0.40 (or 40p)
Solution
To find 1% of 15,200, we move the decimal point two places to the left.
15200. becomes 152.00
Answer: 152
Solution
To find 1% of 70.5, we move the decimal point two places to the left.
70.5 becomes 0.705
Answer: 0.705
Solution
To find 1% of 1.25, we move the decimal point two places to the left.
1.25 becomes 0.0125
Answer: 0.0125
10 A bank offers a 1% annual interest rate. If you deposit £5.50, how much interest would you earn in a year?
Solution
We need to find 1% of 5.50. We move the decimal point two places to the left.
5.50 becomes 0.0550
Answer: £0.055
72, how much was invested in each mutual fund?