Help With Simple Formula

[VitesseCarOwner]

I have a subtotal which equates to 86%, I know that I need a further 14% to equal 100%. How do I calculate the actual number from the 86% to make 100%?

For example 172 = 86%, I know I need 28 more items (14%). Therefore if I have 172 items and no that I need 14% more what formula would I use to calculate it?

Thanks

 

[VoG]

Try

=A1/0.86

 

[Peter_SSs]

Like this?

Excel Workbook
	A	B	C
2	Number	%	Amount needed
3	172	0.86	28
Amount Needed

 

[VitesseCarOwner]

Thanks, I've spent ages trying to figure out how to calculate the figure correctly. I should have paid more attention to what my maths teacher was saying at school!

 

[Peter_SSs]

Thanks, I've spent ages trying to figure out how to calculate the figure correctly. I should have paid more attention to what my maths teacher was saying at school!

Being a former maths teacher, I'd have to say that is true for most people.
Anyway, glad you are sorted now.

 

[oldbrewer]

Peter, you referred to the percentage being .86 in your answer. Being a former maths teacher...........

 

[oldbrewer]

and it gives a negative answer.....

 

[Peter_SSs]

Peter, you referred to the percentage being .86 in your answer. Being a former maths teacher...........

I'm not sure what you are saying?
0.86 is a percenatge. It is just a different way to write 86%

and it gives a negative answer.....

What gives a negative answer?

 

[oldbrewer]

your formula with numbers is 172/(.86-172)

We don't open a newspaper and read that .86 of the population have 2 or more televisions at home......

 

[Peter_SSs]

your formula with numbers is 172/(.86-172)

I don't see any parentheses in my formula, which means the standard order of operations with division coming before subtraction. I actually posted my spreadsheet screen shot with formula and result & it clearly isn't negative. Did you try it?

We don't open a newspaper and read that .86 of the population have 2 or more televisions at home......

True, but a newspaper would be one of the last resources I would use for a mathematics definition. Here are a couple of definitions:

Percentage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In mathematics, a percentage is a number or ratio as a fraction of 100. It is often denoted using the percent sign, “%”, or the abbreviation “pct.”
For example, 45% (read as “forty-five percent”) is equal to 45/100, or 0.45

per·cent·age (pr-sntj)
n.
1.
a. A fraction or ratio with 100 understood as the denominator; for example, 0.98 equals a percentage of 98.

.. and one final comment from Excel:

Excel Workbook
	A	B	C
1	86%	0.86	TRUE
Sheet2