How to Convert Percentages to Decimals

The Organic Chemistry Tutor

This video is a clear, step-by-step mathematics tutorial demonstrating how to convert various types of percentages into decimals. The narrator uses a digital whiteboard to visually explain the core concept of dividing by 100, which translates to moving the decimal point two places to the left. The video progresses from simple two-digit percentages to more complex scenarios, including single-digit percentages, percentages that already contain decimals, percentages greater than 100%, and extremely small percentages less than 1%. Key themes include the relationship between percentages and decimal place value, pattern recognition in arithmetic operations, and the importance of using placeholders (zeros) when converting small numbers. The video explicitly addresses common student stumbling blocks, such as handling single-digit percents (e.g., 9%) versus decimals (e.g., 0.9), and how to handle percentages that are less than one percent. For educators, this video serves as an excellent instructional tool for introducing or reviewing rational number conversions in upper elementary and middle school. It features built-in pause points and practice problems, allowing teachers to use it for direct instruction, a flipped classroom assignment, or a review station. The 'mixed review' section at the end provides an immediate opportunity for formative assessment to check student understanding of all the concepts covered.