Help! I'm confused?? I'm not cheating for answers? just need this clarified?

Question

ok i asked a question yesterday about percentages and i got
this is the problem i asked:
''in year 1996 the net income for such and such a family was $43,000 and now in 2007, it has risen to $60,000 (i just made up that statistic)
by how much percent did it raise? questions like those! how do i calculate to figure out that answer? what are the steps? please!!! i'm eager to know!!!!''
so i got the answer which was
''60000 MINUS 43000 = 17000 DIVIDED BY 43000 =.395348 OR 39.5348 INCREASE TO CHECK MULTIPLY 1.395348 TIMES 43000= 59999.964 OR NEARLY 60000 SO WAGES HAVE RISEN BY 39.5348. THE ACTUAL INCREASE IS 39.5348837''

the only problem is about the answer is that when they divided
17000 BY 43000 , they got 395348 !!! but when i did it on pen and paper, i got http://www.webmath.com/cgi-bin/dividewra...

I'm taking a test on problems such as these and we are not allowed to use calculators! so how can i get that same

irrational number if i do it the long division way?

Answer 1

Well, your link doesn't work, but the solution method presented is correct. When figuring % change it is always:

(New value - Old value) / Old value

Maybe you went wrong in your long division by what was divided into what. 17000/43000 means 17000 goes inside/underneath the division sign and 43,000 goes on the outside.

Answer 2

Here's the easiest way to solve these types of word problems.

Set up a rational equation. In this case 43,000 is to 60,000 as 100% is to x

43,000/60,000=100/x. Solve this by cross multiplying, then dividing by the resulting coefficient of x to get x by itself. The result will be in %.

Answer 3

Have you tryed awebsit called GCSE butsize revison. Go to the maths section and them percentages. They might explain there hoiw to do things.

Answer 4

Yes, sorry, but your link doesn't work. How many places do you need to divie to? Do you round up? I would probably say that wages have risen by 39.53%.