What percent is 3% of 5%?

### Concept & Formula When asked "What percent is $X$ of $Y$?", you are establishing a ratio between $X$ and $Y$, and then multiplying by 100 to convert that ratio into a percentage format. $$ \text{Required Percentage} = \left( \frac{X}{Y} \right) \times 100\% $$ ### Step-by-Step Solution * **Given:** Value to be compared ($X$) = 3% Base value ($Y$) = 5% * **Calculation:** Step 1: Set up the fraction. Since both terms have a percentage sign, they cancel each other out algebraically. $ \frac{3\%}{5\%} = \frac{3/100}{5/100} = \frac{3}{5} $ Step 2: Convert the fraction into a percentage by multiplying by 100. $ \left( \frac{3}{5} \right) \times 100\% $ $ = 3 \times 20\% $ $ = 60\% $ ### Exam Strategy & Shortcut Recognize that "percent of percent" ratios scale exactly like regular integers. "What percent is 3% of 5%" is mathematically identical to asking "What percent is 3 of 5". You should immediately know that $ \frac{3}{5} $ represents 60%. ### Common Pitfall Students often confuse "percent of" with multiplication. Seeing "3% of 5%", they multiply $ 3 \times 5 $ and incorrectly select 15% (Option a). Pay close attention to the phrasing "What percent is...", which indicates division, not multiplication. ### Final Answer **Therefore, the correct answer is 60%.**