← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8

Calculating a percentage of a total

Divides a part (B2) by the total ($B$10, locked with $) to find its share. Format the cell with the Percent style button to show it as a %. All the shares add up to 100%.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Analysing and Visualising Data — Module 30, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 — Analysing and Visualising Data — Module 27

Understanding Calculating a percentage of a total in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8

What it does: B3 is the part and $B$10 is the locked total. Dividing the part by the total gives its share. The Percent style button multiplies the decimal by 100 and adds a % sign, so 0.25 is displayed as 25%. The $ signs make the total an absolute reference, so it stays on B10 when you copy the formula down. The parts make up the whole total, so their shares always add up to 100%. If they do not, check the formulas. The part goes on top (B2) and the total goes on the bottom (B10), as in =B2/$B$10.

Common mistakes: A share is found by dividing the part by the total, not multiplying. It should be =B2/$B$10. $B$9 is just one of the parts, not the total. Every share must divide by the locked total, so it should be =B4/$B$10.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 302–324) and word search (Modules 261–324).

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Learning
Duo
Which formula finds the share of the total for the value in B2, when the total is in B10?
=B2*B10=B2/$B$10
Matches
=B2/B10 (then copied down to B3, B4...)
↓
The total B10 is not locked with $, so when the formula is copied down it becomes B11, B12... and divides by the wrong cells or gives errors. It should be =B2/$B$10.
Applying
Meanings
Term
=B2/$B$10
Meaning
Divides a part (B2) by the total ($B$10, locked with $) to find its share. Format the cell with the Percent style button to show it as a %. All the shares add up to 100%.
Practice
=B2/SUM($B$2:$B$9)
Testing
Gaps
=B2$B$10
Check Answer
Spots
2B10: =SUM(B2:B9)
3C2: =B2*$B$10

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Quick Questions

1. Which formula finds the share of the total for the value in B2, when the total is in B10?
A. =B2*B10
B. =B2/$B$10 ✓
To find a share you divide the part by the total. Multiplying gives a much bigger number that is not a share.
2. You copy =B2/B10 down the column. Row 3 becomes =B3/B11, which is blank. What is the fix?
A. Type the formula again in every row without a $
B. Lock the total with $: =B2/$B$10 ✓
The $ signs make the total an absolute reference, so it stays on B10 when you copy the formula down.
3. A cell shows 0.25 after you divide a part by the total. How do you show it as 25%?
A. Click the Percent style button ✓
B. Multiply the formula by 25
The Percent style button changes how the cell looks. The value 0.25 is not changed, it is just displayed as 25%.
4. If you work out each item's share of the total correctly, what should all the shares add up to?
A. 100% ✓
B. 10%
The parts make up the whole total, so their shares always add up to 100%. If they do not, check the formulas.
5. A student uses =B2/B10 and then formats the cell as a percentage. In a share-of-total formula, the total is...
A. The number you divide by ✓
B. The number you divide
The part goes on top (B2) and the total goes on the bottom (B10), as in =B2/$B$10.

Match the Pairs

=B2/$B$10 → Divides one part (B2) by the total in B10 to work out its share of the whole
$B$10 → A locked reference to the total, so it stays the same when the formula is copied down the column
To find each item's share of the total, divide the part by the total and lock the total cell → =B3/$B$10
After dividing, click the Percent style button (%) on the Home tab so the decimal shows as a percentage → 0.25 becomes 25%
=B2/B10 (then copied down to B3, B4...) → The total B10 is not locked with $, so when the formula is copied down it becomes B11, B12... and divides by the wrong cells or gives errors. It should be =B2/$B$10.
=$B$10/B2 → The formula is upside down. It divides the total by the part, giving a number bigger than 1. It should be part divided by total: =B2/$B$10.

Key Term

=B2/$B$10
Divides a part (B2) by the total ($B$10, locked with $) to find its share. Format the cell with the Percent style button to show it as a %. All the shares add up to 100%.

Fill in the Blanks

1. =B2/$B$10
Hint: Type the arithmetic operator that divides the part by the total.
2. =B2/$B$10
Hint: Type the locked (absolute) reference to the total cell in row 10.
3. =SUM(B2:B9)
Hint: Type the function that adds the parts together to make the total.
4. =B2/$B$10 =B3/$B$10
Hint: Type the row number of the total, which stays locked when the formula is copied down.
5. =B2/$B$10 =B3/$B$10
Hint: Type the cell reference of the first part, one row above the next part.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A A10: Total
B B10: =SUM(B2:B9)
C C2: =B2*$B$10
D C3: =B3/$B$10
Line C — A share is found by dividing the part by the total, not multiplying. It should be =B2/$B$10.
Question 2
A B10: =SUM(B2:B9)
B C2: =B2/$B$10
C C3: =B3/$B$10
D C4: =B4/$B$9
Line D — $B$9 is just one of the parts, not the total. Every share must divide by the locked total, so it should be =B4/$B$10.
Question 3
A B10: =SUM(B2:B9)
B C2: =B2/$B$10
C C3: =B2/$B$10
D C4: =B4/$B$10
Line C — Row 3's share must use its own part, B3. Using B2 would just repeat the share for row 2. It should be =B3/$B$10.
Question 4
A C2: =$B$10/B2
B C3: =B3/$B$10
C C4: =B4/$B$10
Line A — The part goes on top and the total underneath. The formula is upside down and should be =B2/$B$10.
Question 5
A B10: =SUM(B2:B9)
B C2: B2/$B$10
C C3: =B3/$B$10
Line B — Every formula must start with =. Without it, the spreadsheet treats it as text. It should be =B2/$B$10.

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