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How to Put Percentage on Your Calculator

Reviewed by Calculator Editorial Team

Calculating percentages is a fundamental skill used in many areas of life, from finance to science. This guide will show you how to properly use the percentage function on your calculator and perform common percentage calculations.

How to Use the Percentage Function

Most scientific calculators have a dedicated percentage (%), multiplication (×), and division (÷) buttons. Here's how to use them:

  1. Enter the first number (the part)
  2. Press the multiplication (×) button
  3. Enter the second number (the whole)
  4. Press the division (÷) button
  5. Enter 100
  6. Press the equals (=) button

Alternatively, you can use the percentage function directly:

  1. Enter the first number (the part)
  2. Press the percentage (%) button
  3. Press the multiplication (×) button
  4. Enter the second number (the whole)
  5. Press the equals (=) button

Tip

If your calculator has a percentage function, it's generally faster to use that than to manually enter the multiplication and division steps.

Common Percentage Calculations

Here are some common percentage calculations you might need to perform:

Calculating a Percentage of a Number

To find what 20% of 150 is:

  1. Enter 20
  2. Press the percentage (%) button
  3. Press the multiplication (×) button
  4. Enter 150
  5. Press the equals (=) button

Finding the Percentage Increase or Decrease

To find the percentage increase from 50 to 75:

  1. Enter 75
  2. Press the minus (-) button
  3. Enter 50
  4. Press the equals (=) button
  5. Press the division (÷) button
  6. Enter 50
  7. Press the multiplication (×) button
  8. Enter 100
  9. Press the equals (=) button

Calculating the Percentage of a Total

To find what percentage 40 is of 200:

  1. Enter 40
  2. Press the division (÷) button
  3. Enter 200
  4. Press the multiplication (×) button
  5. Enter 100
  6. Press the equals (=) button

Percentage Formulas

The basic percentage formula is:

Percentage Formula

Percentage = (Part ÷ Whole) × 100

Where:

  • Part = the portion you want to find the percentage of
  • Whole = the total amount

For example, if you want to find what percentage 30 is of 120:

Example Calculation

Percentage = (30 ÷ 120) × 100 = 25%

Percentage Examples

Here are some practical examples of percentage calculations:

Sales Tax Calculation

If an item costs $50 and the sales tax is 8%, the total cost is:

  1. Calculate 8% of $50: (8 ÷ 100) × 50 = $4
  2. Add the tax to the original price: $50 + $4 = $54

Discount Calculation

If you have a 25% discount on a $100 item:

  1. Calculate 25% of $100: (25 ÷ 100) × 100 = $25
  2. Subtract the discount from the original price: $100 - $25 = $75

Tip Calculation

To calculate a 15% tip on a $60 meal:

  1. Calculate 15% of $60: (15 ÷ 100) × 60 = $9
  2. Add the tip to the bill: $60 + $9 = $69

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the percentage button do on a calculator?

The percentage button (usually marked with a %) converts the current number to a percentage by dividing it by 100. It's a shortcut for multiplying by 0.01.

How do I calculate percentages without a calculator?

You can use the basic percentage formula: (Part ÷ Whole) × 100. For example, to find what percentage 25 is of 50, you would calculate (25 ÷ 50) × 100 = 50%.

What's the difference between percentage and percent?

"Percentage" refers to a part per hundred, while "percent" is the noun form of the word. For example, "25 percent" means the same as "25 per hundred" or "25/100".

How do I calculate percentage increase or decrease?

To calculate percentage increase: [(New Value - Original Value) ÷ Original Value] × 100. For decrease, use the same formula but subtract the new value from the original value.