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How do you decide what goes in the denominator in such %(change) questions?

Why is the answer not 0.3/1.5 x 100 = 20% increase?
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How do you decide what goes in the denominator in such %(change) questions?

Why is the answer not 0.3/1.5 x 100 = 20% increase?

Put in the denominator the value you are comparing to. For example: what percent is 10 greater than 8? (10 - 8)/8*100 = 0.25
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How do you decide what goes in the denominator in such %(change) questions?

Why is the answer not 0.3/1.5 x 100 = 20% increase?

The question itself makes it clear that x/y is greater.
Profit % is normally calculated over cp(cost price,unless specifically stated in the question), similarly loss percent over selling price.
Just have to figure out which one is what.

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Bunuel
For numbers x, y, z, and w, if x is 50% greater than y, and z is 20% greater than w, x/y is what percent greater or less than z/w ?

(A) 25 % less
(B) 20 % less
(C) 20 % greater
(D) 25 % greater
(E) 50 % greater

x/y=1.5/1
z/w=1.2/1
1.5/1.2=1.25
25%
D
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Bunuel
For numbers x, y, z, and w, if x is 50% greater than y, and z is 20% greater than w, x/y is what percent greater or less than z/w ?

(A) 25 % less
(B) 20 % less
(C) 20 % greater
(D) 25 % greater
(E) 50 % greater

We can create the equations:

x = 1.5y

x/y = 1.5

and

z = 1.2w

z/w = 1.2

So we have:

(1.5 - 1.2)/1.2 x 100

0.3/1.2 x 100

3/12 x 100 = 25%

Answer: D
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