WAECMathematics

What is 25% of 80?

A15
B20CORRECT
C25
D40
AI
Toaster Teacher
Why the answer is B, and why the others tempt you.
**The reasoning** To find a percentage of a number, convert the percentage to a decimal and multiply. This uses the principle of **percentage as parts per hundred**. 25% means 25 out of 100, which equals 25/100 = 0.25 So: 25% of 80 = 0.25 × 80 = 20 Alternatively, think of it as fractions: 25% = ¼ (one quarter), so you're finding ¼ of 80, which is 80 ÷ 4 = 20. **Why the wrong options tempt you** **A) 15** – You might subtract 25 from 40 (half of 80) by mistake, mixing up operations. **C) 25** – This is the percentage itself! Don't just copy the number from the question. You need to find 25% *of* 80, not just write 25. **D) 40** – This is 50% of 80 (half). Students sometimes confuse 25% with 50%, or they might find half first then forget to halve again. **Quick takeaway** **25% always means "divide by 4"** – it's the easiest shortcut! Whenever you see 25%, just ask: "What's this number divided by 4?"
Want this in Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa? Sign up free →

Practice more Mathematics questions

WAEC Mathematics has thousands more questions like this — with Worked answers on every one.