The following table shows the Expenditures of an Institution (in lakh ₹) per…
2020
The following table shows the Expenditures of an Institution (in lakh ₹) per annum:
The total expenditure on all these items in 2015 was approximately what percent of the total expenditure in 2019?
Answer: A. 84.63% — Concept: a "was what percent of" question compares one quantity with a stated base. The required percentage is the compared quantity divided by the base…
- A.
84.63%
- B.
58%
- C.
91%
- D.
73%
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Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept: a "was what percent of" question compares one quantity with a stated base. The required percentage is the compared quantity divided by the base quantity, multiplied by 100.
The base is the quantity the comparison is measured against; in English it is the quantity that follows "percent of". Here the base is the 2019 total, so the 2015 total goes in the numerator and the 2019 total in the denominator.
Application: add up all five expenditure heads for each of the two years, then form that ratio.
Head of expenditure | 2015 (lakh ₹) | 2019 (lakh ₹) |
|---|---|---|
Salary of Staff | 288 | 420 |
Transport | 98 | 14 |
Bonuses | 3 | 3.96 |
Interest on Loan | 23.4 | 49.4 |
Taxes | 83 | 98 |
Total | 495.4 | 585.36 |
Total expenditure in 2015 = 288 + 98 + 3 + 23.4 + 83 = 495.4 lakh ₹.
Total expenditure in 2019 = 420 + 14 + 3.96 + 49.4 + 98 = 585.36 lakh ₹.
Required percentage = (495.4 ÷ 585.36) × 100.
495.4 ÷ 585.36 = 0.846317..., and 0.846317 × 100 = 84.6317%, which rounds to 84.63%.
Cross-check by multiplying back: 585.36 × 0.8463 ≈ 495.39, which rounds to the 2015 total of 495.4 lakh ₹, so the division was taken in the intended direction.
Contrast with the reversed base: (585.36 ÷ 495.4) × 100 = 118.2% approximately. A value above 100% answers the different question "2019 as a percent of 2015", which the wording here does not ask.
Result: the total expenditure of 2015 was approximately 84.63% of the total expenditure of 2019.