Maths questions

Soldato
Joined
25 May 2011
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3,299
Hi :) am looking to start a college course that starts in 10 days time and I need to pass my level 2 maths before then. I was the clown at the class at school and its like I have had to start from scratch !!

Was hoping I could post the questions which I am struggling with and you guys could show me the technique used for finding out the answer so i can learn how to work them out for my self.

" A snooker club with 420 members has several tables. The booking secretary analyses table usage and notes that the most active group ( 20% of the members) use the tables for 4/5 (fraction) of the available time"

For what percentage pf the time does the most active group use the tables ?

A 4%
B 40%
C 50%
D 80%

? :)
 
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That question is more about being able to spot the required information than the actual maths. The only bit you need to know is:

"the most active group use the tables for 4/5 (fraction) of the available time"

The rest is not related to the question asked. It may be used in part 2 of the question if there is one however.
 
A fraction looks like one number divided by another because that's exactly what it is!

So as has been said 4/5 = 0.8 = 80%.


yeah it's 80%

all you do is 4/5 of 420, which gives you 336.

336/420 = 0.8 (80%)

:)

The time is completely irrelevant in this scenario, they just want a percentage.
 
Thanks guys there is a second part to the question

" A snooker club with 420 members has several tables. The booking secretary analyses table usage and notes that the most active group ( 20% of the members) use the tables for 4/5 (fraction) of the available time"

How many members are there in the most active group ?

A 17
B 67
C 84
D 336

?
 
yeah it's 80%

all you do is 4/5 of 420, which gives you 336.

336/420 = 0.8 (80%)

:)

Would seem with your calculation it answers the second part of the question, above ^

Can you explain how you go about finding out 4/5 of 420 please ? so I can fully understand how you got there :)

Am sure for some this is to easy, but we all have good and bad strong points
 
Would seem with your calculation it answers the second part of the question, above ^

Can you explain how you go about finding out 4/5 of 420 please ? so I can fully understand how you got there :)

Am sure for some this is to easy, but we all have good and bad strong points

It's all in the language - 4/5 of 420 is saying four fifths of 420. So 4 divided by 5 multiplied by 420. Or take 420, divide it by 5 than multiply the answer by 4, you're working out what one fifth of 420 is then multiplying it by 4 to get four fifths. The remaining one fifth (of the 420) is the group of most active people (84).

Andi.
 
Part 1

100 / 5 = 20

20 x 4 = 80%

Part 2

420 / 5 = 84

Can you explain how you go about finding out 4/5 of 420 please ? so I can fully understand how you got there :)

To find 1/5, you simply divide what ever number it is by 5. For example 1/5 of 500 is 100. To find 4/5's just times that number by 4. 100 (1/5 of 500) x 4 = 400 (4/5 of 500).

Understand?
 
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Would seem with your calculation it answers the second part of the question, above ^

Can you explain how you go about finding out 4/5 of 420 please ? so I can fully understand how you got there :)

Am sure for some this is to easy, but we all have good and bad strong points

what you quoted doesnt directly answer the second part. It's a bit of a ridiculous calculation that was done tbh**.

you don't want 4/5 of 420. you want 20% of 420. It's just coincidence that 100-80=20 and gives you what you want in this case.


** see here http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=19967439&postcount=14
 
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Thanks guys there is a second part to the question

" A snooker club with 420 members has several tables. The booking secretary analyses table usage and notes that the most active group ( 20% of the members) use the tables for 4/5 (fraction) of the available time"

How many members are there in the most active group ?

A 17
B 67
C 84
D 336

?

20% is the same as multiplying by 0.2

so 420 * 0.2 is 84.
 
I am slightly shocked that you don't know how to do this but I appluad you at trying to learn it now :)

In both of these questions the easiest way to answer these is work out what 1 is ( 1/5th in the first question and 1% in the second)

To work out a fraction of a number then divide by the number on the bottom (denominator) and times by the number on the top (numerator). The whole time must be 100% so-

100% / 5 = 20% x 4 = 80%.

The second question is pretty much doing the same calculation but in a different manner. You need to find 20% of 420 members, again as above 100% is every member so

420 / 100% = 4.2 x 20% = 84 members.
 
Rather than given a multitude of half-arsed answers perhaps is better to wait for the OP to respond - his maths skills maybe rusty so things you think are self-explanatory may not be (not trying to be condescending here)...

At least then we may actually be useful...

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
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