Percent of a percent: What percent is 3% of 5%?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: 0.15%

Explanation:

Introduction / Context:Here we multiply two percentages. Remember that a percent is itself a fraction of 100. So “3% of 5%” means 0.03 times 5%, yielding a very small percentage.

Given Data / Assumptions:

  • 3% = 0.03.
  • 5% = 5 percent (we will keep the percent form in the result).

Concept / Approach:Compute 0.03 * 5% = (0.03 * 5)%. Multiply the numeric parts and retain the percent sign for the final expression.

Step-by-Step Solution:

0.03 * 5 = 0.15.Therefore, 3% of 5% = 0.15%.

Verification / Alternative check:Convert both to decimals: 3% of 5% = 0.03 * 0.05 = 0.0015 = 0.15% when expressed back as a percent.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • 15% and 1.5% are 100× and 10× too large, respectively.
  • 0.015% is 10× too small.

Common Pitfalls:Treating percent signs as ordinary numbers without converting to decimals first. Always remember that % introduces a factor of 1/100.

Final Answer:0.15%

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