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Procedure for Converting a Percent to a Decimal
Because a percent is a ratio with denominator , converting a percent to a decimal is equivalent to dividing by . A quick shortcut avoids explicit division:
- Locate the decimal point in the percent value. If no decimal point is visible (e.g., ), it is understood to sit at the far right of the number ().
- Move the decimal point two places to the left. If there are not enough digits to the left, insert placeholder zeros.
- Drop the percent sign ().
This two-place leftward shift works because dividing any number by moves every digit two places lower in the place-value system — the same effect as shifting the decimal point two positions to the left. The method applies to whole-number percents (e.g., ), percents greater than (e.g., ), and percents that already contain a decimal (e.g., ).
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Procedure for Converting a Percent to a Decimal
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