Name: Paula

Who is asking: Other
Level: Secondary

Question:
How do you add percentages

e.g 90% + 80% + 60% + 54% + 25% = ?

I would say that in most situations in makes no sense to add percentages. You certainly have to be adding percentages of the same thing. If I drank 50% of the milk in your refrigerator and you drank 50% of the orange juice, then together we drank 100% if what? It makes no sense.

Even if you are talking about percentages of the same thing it may not make sense. Yesterday we wrote a math test. You got 85% and I got 65%. Does it make sense to say that between us we got 150%. I don't think so.