Find a percent that is equivalent to $\frac{15}{300}$.
To express the fraction \(\frac{15}{300}\) as a percentage, we first simplify the fraction to make it easier to work with. We can divide both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 15:
\[\frac{15 \div 15}{300 \div 15} = \frac{1}{20}.\]
A percentage is defined as a ratio where the denominator is 100. To convert \(\frac{1}{20}\) to a percentage, we need to find an equivalent fraction with 100 in the denominator. We can do this by multiplying both the numerator and the denominator by 5:
\[\frac{1 \times 5}{20 \times 5} = \frac{5}{100}.\]
Since \(\frac{5}{100}\) means 5 parts out of 100, it is equivalent to \(5\%\). Comparing this to the given choices, we can see that the correct option is \(5\%\).
\[\frac{5}{100} = 5\%.\]
In a retail store, if a product originally priced at \(\$300\) has a discount of \(\$15\), you might want to know what percentage of the total price you are saving. By calculating the fraction \(\frac{15}{300}\), you find that the discount is \(\frac{1}{20}\), which is equivalent to a \(5\%\) reduction in price. This simple calculation helps shoppers quickly understand the impact of discounts on their budget.