In a study of 1350 elementary school children, 118 out of the 615 girls in the study said they want to be a teacher when they grow up. What percent of the study's participants were boys? Round to one decimal place.
A. 19.2%
B. 54.4%
C. 45.6%
D. 83.7%
Answer (2)
The percentage of boys in the study is 54.4%, which was calculated by first determining that there are 735 boys out of a total of 1350 children. After calculating the proportion of boys and converting it to a percentage, the final value was rounded to one decimal place. The correct multiple-choice option is B. 54.4% .
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Calculate the number of boys by subtracting the number of girls from the total number of children: 1350 − 615 = 735 .
Determine the proportion of boys by dividing the number of boys by the total number of children: 1350 735 = 0.5444... .
Convert the proportion to a percentage by multiplying by 100: 0.5444... × 100 = 54.444... .
Round the percentage to one decimal place: 54.4% .
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are given that there are 1350 elementary school children in a study, and 615 of them are girls. We need to find the percentage of boys in the study, rounded to one decimal place.
Calculating the Number of Boys First, we need to find the number of boys in the study. We can do this by subtracting the number of girls from the total number of children: N u mb er o f b oys = T o t a l c hi l d re n − N u mb er o f g i r l s N u mb er o f b oys = 1350 − 615 = 735 So, there are 735 boys in the study.
Finding the Proportion of Boys Next, we need to find the proportion of boys in the study. We can do this by dividing the number of boys by the total number of children: P ro p or t i o n o f b oys = T o t a l c hi l d re n N u mb er o f b oys P ro p or t i o n o f b oys = 1350 735 = 0.544444...
Converting to Percentage Now, we need to express this proportion as a percentage. We can do this by multiplying the proportion by 100: P erce n t a g e o f b oys = P ro p or t i o n o f b oys × 100 P erce n t a g e o f b oys = 0.544444... × 100 = 54.4444...
Rounding the Percentage Finally, we need to round the percentage to one decimal place: R o u n d e d p erce n t a g e o f b oys = ro u n d ( 54.4444... , 1 ) = 54.4 So, the percentage of boys in the study is 54.4%.
Final Answer Therefore, the percentage of boys in the study is 54.4%.
Examples
Understanding percentages is crucial in many real-life situations. For example, when analyzing survey data, like in this problem, knowing the percentage of different groups (boys and girls) helps in understanding the composition of the sample. This is also applicable in market research, where businesses analyze the demographics of their customer base to tailor their marketing strategies. Moreover, understanding percentages is essential in financial calculations, such as calculating discounts, interest rates, and investment returns. In essence, percentages provide a standardized way to compare proportions across different contexts, making them a fundamental tool in data analysis and decision-making.
