Enrique has to pay 80% of a $200 phone bill. Explain how to use equivalent ratios to find 80% of $200.

1 answer

To find 80% of a $200 phone bill using equivalent ratios, you can follow these steps:

  1. Understand Percentage as a Ratio: First, recognize that 80% can be expressed as the ratio of 80 to 100. In mathematical terms, this is written as \( \frac{80}{100} \).

  2. Set Up an Equivalent Ratio: We want to find out how much 80% of $200 is, which can be expressed using an equivalent ratio. You can set this up as follows: \[ \frac{80}{100} = \frac{x}{200} \] Here, \( x \) represents the amount you want to find, which is 80% of $200.

  3. Cross-Multiply: To solve for \( x \), cross-multiply the two ratios: \[ 80 \times 200 = 100 \times x \] This simplifies to: \[ 16000 = 100x \]

  4. Solve for \( x \): To isolate \( x \), divide both sides by 100: \[ x = \frac{16000}{100} = 160 \]

  5. Conclusion: Therefore, 80% of a $200 phone bill is $160.

By using the concept of equivalent ratios, you can effectively find percentages of any amount!