Expert: Lynn Houston - 4/14/2009

Question
QUESTION: 1)  6.5 of what number is 325?  Do I divide 325 by 6.5 to get my answer?


Estimate the amount in each of the following problems.

2)  What is 48.3 of 1,500? Is 31.055 the correct answer?

Pleas help me it may seem questions to you but I always have trouble understanding sentence


ANSWER: 1)  6.5 of what number is 325?  Do I divide 325 by 6.5 to get my answer?
Yes sorta, assuming that you mean 6.5%.  Think of it this way.  6.5% of what number is 325.  That is the same as saying .065x = 325, so you actually have to divide 325 by .065


Estimate the amount in each of the following problems.

2)  What is 48.3 of 1,500? Is 31.055 the correct answer?
No.  48.3 is almost 1/2, so 48% of 1,500 is going to be a little less than 750.  2% of 1500 is 30 so 48.3% of 1,500 is approx 1,470.

Pleas help me it may seem questions to you but I always have trouble understanding sentence

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The second problem I still do not know how you came to that answer you drop the 3, 84, and then 84 *1500 is 126000. Could you explain it a little clearer.  Thank you

Answer
The way I estimated 48.3% of 1,500 was to first, note that 48.3 is fairly close to 50%.  50% is easy to compute, it's 1/2 so 50% of 1500 is 750.  Since you're estimating, could probably get away with using 750 for your answer.  If you want to get a little closer, I then computed 2%, which again, can be done fairly easily in your head because it's 2 x 15 (or .02 x 1,500).  Since 48% is approx 2% less than 50%, subtract 30 from 750 to get 720.

Sorry, I realize why you're confused now.  The answer is 720, not 1470 as I erronously put in my first answer.  I was looking at the 1500 when I subtracted 30 instead of 750.  Sorry about that.