Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: 276
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question is a classic data interpretation problem based on a pie chart. In exams, the actual chart often shows percentage shares of different categories, such as shoe brands, out of a fixed total. To answer such questions, you must be comfortable converting percentages to absolute numbers. Here, we are told that Brand A represents 23 percent of 1200 shoes, and we must calculate the actual count of Brand A shoes.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Whenever a category is given as a percentage of a total quantity, the corresponding absolute value is calculated using the formula:
number of items in category = (percentage share / 100) * total items. This is basic percentage arithmetic and is frequently tested in data interpretation questions involving pie charts, bar graphs and tables.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Percentage of Brand A shoes = 23% of the total shoes.2. Total number of shoes in the store = 1200.3. Use the formula: Brand A shoes = (23 / 100) * 1200.4. First compute 23 * 1200 = 27600.5. Now divide by 100 to get the actual number: 27600 / 100 = 276.6. Therefore, the store has 276 shoes of Brand A.
Verification / Alternative check:
We can perform a quick mental check. Ten percent of 1200 is 120, so twenty percent is 240. Three percent of 1200 is 36. Adding these, 240 + 36 = 276. This confirms that 23 percent of 1200 is indeed 276, which matches our detailed calculation and matches one of the options exactly.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
230: This corresponds to approximately 19.17% of 1200, not 23%.286: This is slightly greater than 23% of 1200; in fact it is around 23.83%.216: This equals 18% of 1200, which is lower than the required 23%.264: This value equals 22% of 1200, still not the required 23%.
Common Pitfalls:
Common mistakes include forgetting to divide by 100 after multiplying, misreading 23% as 0.23 without then multiplying by the total, or performing inaccurate mental arithmetic with percentages. Some students also confuse proportion of the circle arc length with percentage. Always translate the percentage into a fraction over 100 and multiply by the total quantity given.
Final Answer:
The number of Brand A shoes in the store is 276.
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