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

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:

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%