Percent Word Problems

PROBLEM 1: A store owner paid $120 wholesale price for a suit. He needs to make a 35% profit on the sale of the suit. By how much should he markup the price of the suit to make his desired profit?

Rephrase: What is 35% of $120?

PROBLEM 2: Mrs. Smith earns $3500 a month. She saves $280 a month. Savings is what percent of her income?

Rephrase: $280 is what percent of $3500?

PROBLEM 3: Sales tax in a certain community is 7%. If the sales tax on a new car was $1400, what was the selling price of the car?

Rephrase: $1400 is 7% of what number?

PROBLEM 4: Mr. Jones receives 10% commission on each sale that he makes. He earned $450 last week in commissions. How much were his sales?

Rephrase: $450 is 10% of what number?

PROBLEM 5: An organization has raised $4800 for a remodeling project. This is 60% of their goal. What is their fundraising goal? HINT: When you are finding the percent of increase or decrease, the original amount is always the whole in the percent proportion, and the part is always the difference, or change. Part (difference, or change) = % Whole (original amount) 100

Rephrase: $4800 is 60% of what number?

PROBLEM 6: The price of gasoline rose from $3.50 to $3.71 in one week. By what percent did the gas price rise?

Rephrase: $.21 (the difference in price) is what percent of $3.50 (the original price)?

PROBLEM 7: A coat was originally priced at $50. It went on sale for $35. What was the percent that the coat was discounted?

Rephrase: The discount (difference in price) is what percent of the original price?

PROBLEM 8: The price of parking for 2 hours or less at the airport is increasing from $2.50 to $5.00. What is the percent that the price will increase?

Rephrase: The increase (difference in price) is what percent of the original price?

PROBLEM 9: The population of a town was 25,000 in the 2000 census and 30,000 in the 2010 census. By what percent did the population increase?

Rephrase: The increase (change) in population is what percent of the original population?

PROBLEM 10: A house was purchased in 2005 for $150,000. It is now valued at $135,000. What is the rate (percent) of depreciation for the house?

Rephrase: The decrease (difference) in price is what percent of the original price?

Answers to Percent Word Problems

1. 120 x = 100 35 $42 markup

2. 3500 280 = 100 x 8% of her income

3. x 1400 = 100 7 $20,000 is the selling price of the car

4. x 450 = 100 10 $4500 was the amount of his sales

5. x 4800 = 100 60 $8000 fundraising goal

6. difference in price $3.71 - $3.50 = $.21 3.50 .21 = 100 x 6% rise in price

7. difference in price $50 – 35 = $15 50 15 = 100 x 30% discount

8. difference in price $5.00 - $2.50 = $2.50 2.50 2.50 = 100 x 100% price increase

9. difference in population 30,000 – 25,000 = 5,000 25,000 5,000 = 100 x 20% increase

10. difference in price $150,000 - $135,000 = $15,000 150,000 15,000 = 100 x 10% depreciati