How it works
The percentage is placed over 100 (since "percent" means "per hundred"), then both sides are reduced by their greatest common divisor. A percentage with decimal places, such as 12.5%, is scaled up first so the conversion stays exact.
Formula: Fraction = percentage / 100, then simplified.
Examples
A whole-number percentage
25% = 25/100, which simplifies to 1/4.
A decimal percentage
12.5% = 125/1000, which simplifies to 1/8.
Things to keep in mind
- A negative percentage converts to a fraction with a negative numerator, such as −50% to −1/2.