Percentages Calculated Manually

Percentages are an important topic in maths and you need to know how to work them out manually, as well as with the use of a calculator.

So 65% of £2000 can be worked out manually as follows:

10%= £200, so 60% can be calculated by multiplying 6 x £200= £1200

5% can be worked out as 1/2 of 10%, being £100, so 65% of £2000 works out as £ 1300, being £1200 + £100)

A further example is 27 1/2 % of £500

20% of £500 is £100

10% is £50, but you do not need this calculation , but you do have need 5% , being 1/2 of 10% , being £25.00

2 1/2 % is 1/2 of 5% , so this would amount to £12.50

So to calculate 27 1/2 % ( 20% + 5% +2 1/2%) you need to add £ 100 + £25 + £12.50 = £ 137.50

By breaking down, or simplifying the percentages into more manageable amounts, the calculations can be made that much easier if you are not permitted to use a calculator when working out the calculation.