A $200.00 sweater has been marked down to $120.00. What percentage discount from the original price does the markdown represent?

Question

anonymous · Answer

I always set up proportions to solve problems for percents, have you learned that way?

anonymous · Answer

$$80/200=x/100$$
$$.4=x/100$$
$$x=40%$$

anonymous · Answer

In the numerator you put the part of the whole that you're looking at (in this case we took $80 off the price of the sweater).  In the denominator you put the entire amount ($200).  On the other side of the equals sign you put x/100, because percentages are parts out of 100.  Then solve for x.