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How to Calculate the Percentage of Two Sums

Percentages are elementary mathematical concepts. They express, in decimals, the portion that one figure represents of another. For example, one-eighth, which is 0.125 in decimal, is 12.5 percent. If you seek the percentage of two sums, with your sums established, there are several ways to express this; and each calculation is slightly different. First, you can show the differences between the two sums, and do this in relation to each individual sum. Finally, to be comprehensive, you can show the difference of the two sums as a percentage of their total.

Things You'll Need

Calculator

Instructions

- 1
  Show the difference between two sums, dividing the second by the first, then subtracting one. If your first sum is 6, and your second is 9, divide 9 by 6. This gives 1.5. Subtract 1 from 1.5 and you get 0.50. This is 50 percent. Thus, the difference between the first sum and second is 50 percent, and 9 is 50 percent larger than 6. This expresses the second sum in terms of the first.
- 2
  Reverse the order of the sums to express the difference in terms of the other sum. Here, with the first sum as 9 this time, 6 divided by 9 is 0.67. Subtract 1 to get -0.33. Therefore, 6 is -33 percent of 9, or 33 percent smaller.
- 3
  Express the difference between the sums as a percentage of the aggregate by subtracting the smaller from the larger, then dividing that by the two sums added together. Here, the difference between 6 and 9 is 3, while 6 and 9 added come to 15. Divide 3 by 15 to get 0.20, or 20 percent.

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