A percent is a way of a expressing a part out of 100. Remember learning about ratios and how they compare quantities? A part-to-whole ratio is a ratio that compares a part of a whole to another part of a whole. A percent is a part-to-whole ratio where the whole is 100. 40%, or 40 out of 100, is a ratio that compares 40, the part, to 100, the whole.
Which of these could you express as a percent?
A. how many of the 100 yogurts in the refrigerator are strawberry
B. the average size of the 100 yogurts in the refrigerator
C. the maximum number of yogurts the refrigerator can hold
D. how many grams of sugar the 100 yogurts in the refrigerator have altogether
pick one
A. how many of the 100 yogurts in the refrigerator are strawberry: Yes, this could be expressed as a percent. For example, if 30 of the yogurts are strawberry, then you could say that 30% of the yogurts are strawberry.
B. the average size of the 100 yogurts in the refrigerator: No, this cannot be expressed as a percent. The average size is a measurement and not a part-to-whole ratio.
C. the maximum number of yogurts the refrigerator can hold: No, this cannot be expressed as a percent. The maximum number is a limit and not a part-to-whole ratio.
D. how many grams of sugar the 100 yogurts in the refrigerator have altogether: No, this cannot be expressed as a percent. The total grams of sugar is a measurement and not a part-to-whole ratio.
Therefore, the answer is A. how many of the 100 yogurts in the refrigerator are strawberry.