1/2 as a percentage
Make the bottom 100: 1/2 = 50/100, and per cent means out of 100, so 1/2 is 50%.
The answer
1/2 = 50%
How to turn 1/2 into a percentage
Per cent means out of 100, so a percentage is a fraction with a bottom of 100.
- Make the bottom 100: 2 × 50 = 100.
- Do the same to the top: 1 × 50 = 50.
- So 1/2 = 50/100, which is 50%.
1/2 as a fraction, decimal and percentage
| Fraction | Decimal | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | 0.5 | 50% |
Multiply the top and bottom by the same number and the fraction keeps its value: 1/2, 2/4, 3/6, 4/8 and 5/10 are all equal.
Looking for 2/4, 3/6, 4/8, 5/10 and 6/12? They are the same as 1/2, so they all give the same decimal and percentage.
All the halves
A half is 5 tenths, 50 hundredths or 500 thousandths. However you cut it, it is 0.5, and 50%.
1/2 is one of the fractions worth knowing by heart.
Shade 1/2 on a fraction wall
The wall opens with 1/2 shaded in the halves row. Look straight down: the shading ends in exactly the same place in 2/4, 3/6, 4/8 and 5/10, so they are equal to 1/2. Tap other pieces to try more fractions.
A fraction wall from halves to tenths, opening on 1/2.
Keep going
Questions parents ask
What is 1/2 as a percentage?
1/2 = 50%.
What percentage is 1 out of 2?
1 out of 2 is 50%, because 1 out of 2 is the fraction 1/2.
How do you turn 1/2 into a percentage?
Make the bottom 100. 2 × 50 = 100, so multiply the top by 50 too: 1/2 = 50/100. Per cent means out of 100, so 1/2 = 50%.
What is 1/2 as a decimal?
1/2 = 0.5.
Fractions, decimals and percentages run all through 11+ maths
Converting between them turns up in 11+ questions on percentages, ratio, money and data. The free diagnostic checks maths, English and both kinds of reasoning, and shows what to practise next. No card is required.