Question 28·Easy·Percentages
Tickets Sold at the School Fundraiser
| Ticket type | Percent of tickets sold |
|---|---|
| Adult | 48% |
| Student | 37% |
| Child | 15% |
A total of 800 tickets were sold for the fundraiser.
Based on the table, how many more adult tickets than child tickets were sold?
For percentage word problems with a known total, first convert each relevant percentage to a decimal and multiply by the total to get actual counts. Then carefully interpret the question phrase (such as "how many more" or "difference") to decide whether to add, subtract, or compare those counts. Doing the calculations directly from the total avoids extra steps and reduces mistakes on the SAT.
Hints
Use the total number of tickets
All percentages in the table are parts of the same total: 800 tickets. For each ticket type, multiply 800 by its percentage (written as a decimal).
Find adult and child counts separately
First find how many adult tickets were sold using 48%, then how many child tickets using 15%. Keep these two numbers separate for now.
Interpret "how many more"
"How many more adult tickets than child tickets" means you should subtract the number of child tickets from the number of adult tickets.
Desmos Guide
Compute the difference using one expression
In the expression line, type (0.48 - 0.15) * 800 and look at the numerical result that Desmos gives. That value is the difference between the number of adult and child tickets sold.
Step-by-step Explanation
Translate the percentages into numbers of tickets
The table shows that 48% of the tickets were adult tickets and 15% were child tickets, out of a total of 800 tickets. To find how many tickets each group represents, multiply the total number of tickets by each percentage written as a decimal.
Calculate the number of adult tickets
Convert 48% to a decimal: . Now multiply by the total number of tickets:
So, adult tickets were sold.
Calculate the number of child tickets
Convert 15% to a decimal: . Now multiply by the total number of tickets:
So, child tickets were sold.
Find how many more adult tickets than child tickets were sold
"How many more adult tickets than child tickets" means subtract the number of child tickets from the number of adult tickets:
So, there were 264 more adult tickets than child tickets sold, which corresponds to choice C.