I’d be curious to hear what you think is the easiest way to solve Test #9, Section 4 (Calculator), #18. A lot of the students I work with find this challenging because the question says p percent (rather than using p as a decimal).

Thanks!

Thanks for this question—it’s a great example of how important it is to develop confidence in translating between words and math. In the information above the question, we’re told that a serving of cereal contains “5%” of an adult’s daily recommended potassium. In the question, it’s characterized as “p percent,” and it’s incumbent on us, as test takers, to recognize that the % sign and the word percent are serving the same purpose: 5 = p. Every time an adult eats a serving of cereal, they’re getting another 5% of their recommended daily potassium.

Note that they could have made this question a lot harder by including a choice that had 0.05x. They’re showing remarkable restraint there! 🙂