There were 18,017 AIDS deaths in 2003, or 34.5% of the 1995 AIDS deaths. Determine the number of AIDS deaths in 1995.
What formula who I use to solve this problem?
What is 18,017/.35?
Let the unknown # of AIDS deaths in 1995 be X.
18,017 = 0.345*X
X = 18,017/0.345 = 52,223
To solve this problem, you can use a proportion formula. A proportion compares two ratios and helps find an unknown value. In this case, we'll use the proportion formula:
(a/b) = (c/d)
where:
a = number of AIDS deaths in 2003
b = total number of AIDS deaths in 1995
c = percentage of AIDS deaths in 2003
d = 100 (since percentages are out of 100)
Now, let's substitute the given values into the formula:
(18,017 / b) = (34.5 / 100)
To solve for 'b', which represents the number of AIDS deaths in 1995, we need to isolate 'b'. We start by cross-multiplying:
18,017 * 100 = 34.5 * b
Now, divide both sides by 34.5 to find 'b':
18,017 * 100 / 34.5 = b
By performing this calculation, you will find the number of AIDS deaths in 1995.