Percentages are a way of representing a part of a whole as a fraction of 100. The symbol "%" means "out of one hundred." So, 15% means 15 out of every 100. To calculate a percentage of a number, we follow these steps:...
- Convert the percentage to a decimal: Divide the percentage by 100. For example, 15% divided by 100 equals 0.15.
- Multiply the decimal by the number: The result is the percentage of the number. In our case, 0.15 multiplied by 480 gives us the number of magazines that arrived late.
Calculating the Number of Late Magazines
Let's apply the steps above to find the number of magazines that arrived late:
- Convert the percentage to a decimal: 15% / 100 = 0.15
- Multiply the decimal by the number of magazines: 0.15 * 480 = 72
The Answer
Therefore, **72 magazines arrived late**.
Additional Considerations
This problem presents a simple example of how percentages are used in everyday situations. However, in real-world scenarios, there might be additional factors to consider, such as:
- Different arrival times: Some magazines might have arrived slightly late, while others arrived significantly late. This could affect the overall satisfaction of subscribers.
- Reasons for late arrival: Understanding the reasons behind the late deliveries can be crucial for the subscription service to improve its logistics and customer service.
- Impact on subscriptions: Late deliveries can lead to customer dissatisfaction and potential cancellations, affecting the revenue of the subscription service.
Real-World Applications of Percentages
Percentages are widely used in various fields, including:
- Finance: Interest rates, loan amounts, and stock market gains and losses are often expressed as percentages.
- Retail: Discounts, sales tax, and profit margins are calculated using percentages.
- Statistics: Percentages are essential for analyzing data and drawing conclusions about populations.
- Health: Body mass index (BMI) is calculated as a percentage, and medical conditions are often described in terms of their percentage of occurrence.
Key Takeaways
This example highlights the importance of understanding percentages for solving everyday problems. By converting percentages to decimals and applying simple multiplication, we can calculate a desired value from a given number.