Using Division
Divide by 100 using a digital calculator. Don't worry about the percentage sign. Simply take your number and divide it by 100. Use a simple handheld calculator, an online calculator, or a calculator app on a smartphone, tablet or computer.
Drop the percentage symbol when you write your answer. The number you get when you divide by 100 is your answer. When you write it down, do not add the percentage symbol (%) as you have now successfully converted your percentage into a decimal.
Relate this to a familiar example like money. Money is a helpful way to think about percentages and decimals because there are 100 cents (or pennies) in a dollar. If you have 75% of a dollar, then you are really saying that you have 75 cents out of a possible 100 cents, which is written like: $0.75. A percentage is a number written with a percentage symbol (%) after it. When you talk about a percentage, you are really saying “per 100.”
Moving the Decimal Point
Drop the percentage sign. Before you can move the decimal point, you need to drop the percentage sign. For 50%, simply drop the % and write “50” on your paper. You may have a percentage like 20.5%, where there is a decimal point in your percentage. That's fine! It works the same as a whole number percentage like 20% when you convert it.
Write the decimal point into your number. Before you can move the decimal point, you need to know where it is. The decimal point comes at the end of a whole number, after the digit in the ones place. If you began with 50%, you will now have “50.0” on your paper.
Move the decimal to the left by two. Finish converting your percentage to a decimal by moving the decimal point over to the left by two. When you write your answer, include one zero on the left side of the decimal point as a place holder. For example, if your starting value is 50%, you simply drop the percentage symbol. Next, note that the decimal point is to the right of the "0." Finally, move the decimal point two spots over so it is to the left of the "5." Together, all of the steps look like: 50%, 50, 50.0, 0.50.
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