Figure It Out
The following table tells you about the population of the United States in 2005 in millions.
1. Approximately, or about, what percentage of the population was male?
| Date | Male | Female |
| 2005 (July 1) | 146,000 | 150,411 |
To find a percentage (%) of a whole number, divide the whole number by the part you want to know.
In this case, the whole number (total population) is 296,411 (males + females).
The part you want to know as a percentage is the number of males. That number is 145,000.
Divide 145,000 (the part) by 296,411 (the whole) to find the percentage represented by males in the U.S.
145,000 ÷ 296,411 = 0.489
Round off the answer to 0.49, expressed as 49 hundredths, which is the same as 49% (49 per cent, or per hundredth). Approximately 49% of the population was male.
The image below might help you remember how to find the percentage amount when you know the whole and the part. The question mark is the % you want to know. Therefore, divide P by W.
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