On Monday, 12 students were absent, which is 8% of all the students in the class. How many students are in the class?
How would I set this problem up?
.08x = 12
To set up this problem, you can use the concept of percentages. Here's how you can approach it:
1. Let's assume the total number of students in the class as "x" (unknown).
2. We know that 12 students were absent, which is 8% of the total number of students.
3. The word "is" in the question indicates equality, so we can set up the following equation:
8% of the unknown total number of students = 12 students.
To solve this equation and find the total number of students in the class, you can use the following steps:
Step 1: Convert the percentage into a decimal. Divide it by 100.
8% = 8/100 = 0.08
Step 2: Set up the equation using the decimal value and the unknown total number of students:
0.08x = 12
Step 3: Solve the equation to find x (the total number of students):
Divide both sides of the equation by 0.08:
x = 12 ÷ 0.08
Step 4: Calculate the result:
x = 150
So, there are 150 students in the class.