Percentage of an Amount: Building Blocks

P4Percentage of an Amount

Build any percentage from 10% and 1%.

Combine easy percentages like building blocks to find any percentage of an amount.

Find 35% of 60.

10% of 60 = 6

30% = 3 × 6 = 18

5% = 6 ÷ 2 = 3

35% of 60 = 18 + 3 = 21

35% = 30% + 5% — build it from 10% blocks.

Learn the 3-Step Method

1Find 10% first.

Divide the amount by 10. This is your building block.

10% of 60 = 6

2Scale it up or down.

Need 30%? Multiply 10% by 3. Need 5%? Halve 10%. Need 1%? Divide the amount by 100.

30% = 18 · 5% = 3

3Add the pieces.

35% = 30% + 5% = 18 + 3 = 21.

💡 Key IdeaEvery percentage is a sum of easy pieces: 10%s, 5%s and 1%s. Break it down, then add up.

Worked Example

Find 65% of £40.

10% block

40 ÷ 10 = 4

10% = £4

→

60%

6 × 4 = 24

60% = £24

→

4 ÷ 2 = 2

5% = £2

→

✓ Answer

24 + 2 = 26

£26

Watch Out! Common Mistakes

Adding percentages to amounts.

35% of 60 = 35 + 60 = 95 ✕

Wrong! A percentage of an amount means a part of it — build from 10% blocks: 21.

Using the wrong block.

35% of 60 = 35 × 6 = 210 ✕

Wrong! 6 is 10%, so multiply by 3.5 (or add 30% + 5%), not 35: answer 21.

Answer bigger than the whole.

65% of £40 = £260 ✕

Impossible! 65% is less than the whole £40 — sense-check every answer: £26.

⬇ Cheat Sheet

PERCENTAGE OF AN AMOUNT

Find 10% (÷10) — your building block.
1% = ÷100; 5% = half of 10%.
Build the target: 65% = 6×10% + 5%.
Add the pieces; check the answer is less than the whole (if under 100%).

Example: 65% of £40 → 10%=£4 → 60%=£24, 5%=£2 → £26

📖 Continue Your Journey

✓ P1 What Are Percentages?✓ P2 Percentages, Fractions and Decimals ✓ P3 Finding 50%, 25% and 10%P4 Percentage of an Amount P5 Percentage Increase P6 Percentage Decrease P7 Percentages and Money P8 One Number as a Percentage of Another P9 Comparing with Percentages P10 Percentage Change P11 Reverse Percentages P12 Percentage Problem Solving

→

Next Lesson: P5 Percentage IncreaseMake it bigger by a percentage.

📄 Free printable: Download the Percentage of an Amount cheat sheet (PDF) — keep it by your child's desk.

Quick summary

Find 10% first (divide by 10) — it's the building block.
Make other blocks: 1% = ÷100, 5% = half of 10%, 30% = 3 × 10%.
Add the blocks: 35% of 60 = 18 + 3 = 21.
Sense-check: under 100% means the answer must be smaller than the whole.

Frequently asked questions

How do you find any percentage of an amount?

Break the percentage into easy blocks — tens, fives and ones. For 65% of £40: 10% is £4, so 60% is £24 and 5% is £2, giving £26.

What is 35% of 60?

21. 10% of 60 is 6, so 30% is 18; 5% is 3; 18 + 3 = 21.

Is there a written method too?

Yes — convert the percentage to a decimal or fraction and multiply (0.35 × 60 = 21). The block method is usually faster for mental work; both give the same answer.

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