What does the term "percentage" refer to?

The term "percentage" refers to a fraction of 100, which fundamentally represents a way to express a number as a part of a whole. This means that when we say a percentage, we are essentially discussing how many parts out of 100 are being considered. For instance, if you have 25% of a class of 40 students, it means you have 25 out of every 100, or in this case, 10 students from the class.

Understanding percentages is crucial in various real-world applications, such as determining discounts in shopping, understanding statistics in reports, or calculating grades in school. This foundational concept acts as a bridge to more complex mathematical ideas, including ratios and proportions, as well as applications in everyday situations, highlighting its practical importance in education and beyond.