Real-Life Math -- Solution
To find out the total percentage of the population falling within
a certain age group, you need to divide the number of people in that age group
into the total population figure and multiply by 100:
The
percentage of the total population over 65: 70 / 500 x 100 = 14
The
percentage of the population between 21 and 65: 200 / 500 x 100 = 40
The
percentage of the population under 21: 230 / 500 x 100 = 46
To
find out the average number of people in each household, you divide the total
number of people by the number of households:
500
/ 150 = 3.3
There is an average of 3.3 people in each household.
Finally,
to find out what percentage of the population has had malaria, you divide
the number of people who have had malaria into the total population, and multiply
by 100:
256 / 500 x 100 = 51.2 percent
Approximately
51 percent of the population has had malaria.
John Barker,
a cultural anthropologist, says math normally doesn't play a large role
in his work. But he adds that things are changing. "More and
more, you're seeing technological equipment like solar-powered computers
being used in the field. You can use them to perform statistical analysis."