I watched the 2nd video of Percentage, and I have a question.
Doesn’t ‘product’ mean ‘multiply’?
In the class, the question was ‘What percentage is 3 of 12?’
and Greg solves is like dividing.
3/12=1/4
1/4*100=25%.
I think 25% is correct, but I don’t know why ‘of’ is not multiplying.
In the other question, ‘What is 25% of 12?’, x=1/4x12, which ‘of’ was ‘multiply.’
Product means the result we get after multiplying
You see how there’s a percentage before the is? That’s why you’re getting confused. Of does mean multiply, as you stated.
Thank you, but I’m still not getting it.
I wanted to ask ‘Doesn’t ‘of’ mean ‘multiply’?’
It is, right? then, why 3 and 12 are not multiplied in ‘What percentage is 3 of 12’?
Yes, it does!
Because it’s not the same question. 25% of 12 means 1/4 times (of) 12
But what percentage is 3 of 12 is an entirely different question asking for a different solution. Here you need to find 25 as the solution not 3. I hope that helps a little?
ah, so I’m interpreting the question wrong right?
In this sentence ‘What percentage is 3 of 12’, ‘of’ is preposition, not meaning of ‘multiplying’?
Yep
I discussed it with a math teacher, and he said that the question is wrong.
To have 25% as an answer, the question should have been ‘3 is what percent of 12?.’
I’m more confused now… could you please help to explain?
Hey, I think you are confused by the semantics mate. “3 is what percent of 12?” And “What percentage is 3 of 12?” is the same thing. Your teacher is correct that the answer will be 25%, but the question is not wrong.
I think you can skim through a couple of problems from the Manhattan 5lb book and I am confident you’ll get used to the kind of language they use
‘3 is what percent of 12?’ And ‘What percentage is 3 of 12?’ are the same questions?
I’m not a native speaker and so as my teacher.
He said that ‘What percentage is 3 of 12’ equation should be x=3 * 12 * 100, and ‘3 is what percent of 12?’ equation should be 3=x * 1/100 * 12, which I learned that ‘of’ should be represented as 'multiply.
Can you see why i’m confused here? I only thought that ‘of’ is ‘multiplying’ whatsoever. This thought is too binary to think?
Thank you for recommending the book, but I think if I just think ‘of’ is ‘multiplying’, things won’t be different. When I see the question, should I think ‘of’ can be proposition or multiplying?
Thank you for spending your time to read my questions and reply to me!
Yes.
I can imagine a little.
How about you rephrase the question in your head like the following to make it make sense to you like the following: “What percentage of 12 is 3?” I think this will help you tackle this kind of questions
You are very welcome and it’s a problem that both natives and non-natives face I believe, so don’t worry, you’ll be just fine!