0.045 when expressed as percent is:
A) 4.5%
B) 5%
C) 0.45%
D) 0.045%
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To express a decimal number as a percentage, you multiply it by 100 and add the percent symbol (%). In this case, we want to convert the decimal 0.045 into a percentage.
Calculation
- Multiply by 100:
[
0.045 \times 100 = 4.5
] - Add the percent symbol:
[
4.5 \%
]
Thus, 0.045 expressed as a percent is 4.5%.
Explanation
Percentages are a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100, making them particularly useful for comparing values relative to a whole. The term “percent” comes from the Latin phrase “per centum,” which means “by the hundred.” To convert a decimal to a percentage, the basic principle is straightforward: you multiply the decimal by 100.
This conversion can be understood better with an example. If you consider the decimal 0.045 as a part of a whole (in this case, a whole represented as 1 or 100%), multiplying it by 100 gives you the equivalent portion of that whole expressed in terms of 100 parts. Therefore, 0.045 means that for every 1 unit, there are 4.5 parts out of 100, leading to the conclusion that it represents 4.5%.
It is important to understand this conversion in various contexts, such as finance (interest rates), statistics (percent change), and everyday calculations (discounts, sales tax). When interpreting percentages, it helps to visualize them as slices of a pie chart, where each percent represents a part of the whole pie.
In conclusion, when converting decimals like 0.045 to a percentage, the simple multiplication by 100 method allows you to express the value in a way that is often more intuitive and relatable in everyday life. Therefore, the correct answer is A) 4.5%.