A mattress store sold 1,330 mattresses in one year. If 30% of the mattresses sold were king size mattresses, how many king size mattresses did the store sell?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
King size mattresses=30%×1330=0.30×1330=399
✅ Correct Answer: 399 king size mattresses
✍️ Explanation
Understanding how to calculate percentages is an essential mathematical skill often used in real-life scenarios, including business and sales analysis. In this case, we are given that a mattress store sold a total of 1,330 mattresses over the course of a year, and 30% of those mattresses were king size.
To determine how many of those were king size, we use the concept of percent, which means “per hundred.” So, 30% means 30 out of every 100 mattresses sold were king size. The percentage is converted into a decimal for calculation by dividing by 100:30%=30100=0.3030\% = \frac{30}{100} = 0.3030%=10030=0.30
We then multiply the total number of mattresses sold (1,330) by the decimal form of the percentage (0.30):1330×0.30=3991330 \times 0.30 = 3991330×0.30=399
This multiplication tells us how many mattresses were king size. The result is 399 mattresses. This means that out of the 1,330 mattresses sold during the year, 399 of them were king size.
This type of calculation is not only useful in school math problems but also in business operations. For instance, a store manager could use this information to determine which mattress size is most popular or to plan future inventory. If 30% of all mattresses sold are king size, then the manager might want to make sure they always have a sufficient stock of that size to meet customer demand.
In conclusion, using percentages allows us to break down data into manageable parts, helping in decision-making, forecasting, and understanding patterns in sales or other measurable quantities.
