Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Mathematics/2016 February 18

= February 18 =

Percentage/Sum calculation
Say I have a 1000. I would like give 20 percent to A, 20 percent to B, and 20 percent to C. How do I calculate (by pen and paper) how much I’ve given A, B and C? Step by step guide in simple terms please. -- Apostle (talk) 18:32, 18 February 2016 (UTC)


 * The value of 20% is equivalent to the expression 0.20 in decimal notation. So, you would take 1,000 and multiply it by 0.20, which will yield 200.  So, "A" gets 200; "B" gets 200; and "C" gets 200.  Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 21:31, 18 February 2016 (UTC)


 * Do you mean that after you've given 20% to A, you give 20% of what's left to B, and then 20% of what's left again to C? If so, then you give 200 to A, as above, 0.2 x 800 = 160 to B, and 0.2 x 640 = 128 to C.  Rojomoke (talk) 23:38, 18 February 2016 (UTC)


 * Thank you guys -- Apostle (talk) 07:24, 19 February 2016 (UTC)


 * BTW, on most calculators you would type:

1000 × 20 %


 * Oddly, you don't want to hit the equals sign, as that might then multiply the 200 answer by 1000. StuRat (talk) 18:34, 19 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Yes, I got it. I was mainly confused with deduction part... -- Apostle (talk) 19:43, 19 February 2016 (UTC)