A percent (using the symbol %) is the ratio of one number to another. Percents are quantitative terms in which n percent of a number is n one-hundredths of the number; they are usually expressed as the equivalent ratio of some number to the number 100. For example, the ratio of 25 to 50 means the number 25 is 50 percent of 50. They are not true numbers; thus, percents can’t be used in calculations, such as addition or multiplication. But operations can be conducted with percents when they are translated into ratios and fractions, such as 25 percent is equal to 0.25 or 1/4.