What is 1/5 as a percent?

Converting fractions to a percentage can be very helpful. Let's go through the steps to change a decimal into a percentage.

You can try different values to learn more about the conversion process.

Often, convert 5/26 to a percent or 5/24 to a percent, depending on the task.

Determining the scaling factor:

\frac{1}{5} = \frac{100}{5} = 100 ÷ 5 = 20

Applying a scaling factor to convert fractions to percentages:

\frac{1 × 20}{5 × 20} = \frac{20}{100} = 0.2 × 100 = 20%

Solution:

1/5 = 20%

What is a fraction?

A fraction represents parts of a whole. It has a top number (numerator) and a bottom number (denominator). For example, 3/4 means three out of four equal parts.

What is a percent?

A percent represents parts of a hundred. The symbol “%” shows proportions. 50% means half, and 200% means double the original value.

For fractions:

In this guide, we’ll be focusing on the fraction 1/5 and how to convert it into its percentage equivalent.

Method 1 – Fraction Scaling:

Understanding Fractions: At the heart of every fraction, there's a division taking place. The numerator denotes the 'portions' we're focused on. The denominator reveals the total possible 'portions'. So, when we say $\frac{1}{5}$ , we're essentially talking about 1 'portions' out of an available 5.
Explanation of Percentage: The term “Percent” has Latin roots, where “cent” means a hundred. So, a percentage essentially portrays a fraction where the denominator is always 100. For illustration, when we state 50%, it translates to 50 out of 100 or $\frac{50}{100}$ in fraction terms.
Transformation Process: To convert $\frac{1}{5}$ into a percentage, we must multiply the fraction to have 100 as its denominator. Begin by determining the factor by which 5 can be multiplied to get 100. This factor is $\frac{100}{5} = 20$ . Following this logic, multiply both the numerator and denominator by 20: $\frac{1 × 20}{5 × 20} = \frac{20}{100}$ .
Final Step: Once multiplied, the fraction denotes 20 out of 100, which is equivalent 20%.

Method 2 – Using Decimals:

Fraction to Decimal Transformation: Begin by expressing $\frac{1}{5}$ as a decimal. This step requires simple division: divide the numerator (1) by the denominator (5), resulting in 0.2.
Decimal to Percentage Conversion: Now, transform this decimal into a percentage. So, 0.2 multiplied by 100 equals 20%.
Wrapping Up: Through the decimal conversion method as well, $\frac{1}{5}$ is equivalent of 20% when expressed as a percentage.

Both methods, while distinct in approach, provide the same result. You can choose to use either the direct fraction scaling method or the decimal conversion method.