The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
25
The problem asks to find what percentage of 500,000 is equal to 125,000. This can be solved by setting up a simple equation to find the unknown percentage. Let’s call the unknown value ‘x’. The mathematical expression for the problem is:
x% of 500,000 = 125,000
In mathematics, “percent” means “out of one hundred,” so x% can be written as the fraction x/100. The word “of” typically signifies multiplication. With these substitutions, the equation becomes:
(x / 100) * 500,000 = 125,000
To solve for x, our goal is to isolate it on one side of the equation. We can start by simplifying the left side. Dividing 500,000 by 100 gives us 5,000:
x * 5,000 = 125,000
Now, to find the value of x, we need to divide both sides of the equation by 5,000:
x = 125,000 / 5,000
This division can be simplified by canceling the three zeros from both the numerator and the denominator, which leaves us with:
x = 125 / 5
Performing the final division gives the answer:
x = 25
Therefore, 25 is the missing number.
An alternative way to think about this is to use the formula for finding a percentage: Percentage = (Part / Whole) × 100. In this context, the ‘Part’ is 125,000 and the ‘Whole’ is 500,000.
Percentage = (125,000 / 500,000) * 100
First, calculate the fraction 125,000 / 500,000. This fraction simplifies to 1/4, which is 0.25 as a decimal.
Next, multiply the decimal by 100 to convert it to a percentage:
Percentage = 0.25 * 100 = 25
Both methods yield the same result, confirming that 25% of 500,000 is 125,000.
