What mistake can occur when forgetting to multiply the numerator by 100?

When calculating a percentage, it is crucial to convert the fraction into a percentage correctly, which requires multiplying the numerator by 100. Failing to do so results in an inaccurate representation of the value as a percentage.

For example, if you are attempting to find what percentage 25 is of 200, the correct calculation involves taking the ratio (25/200), which equals 0.125, and then multiplying by 100 to convert it to a percentage, yielding 12.5%. If you forget to multiply by 100 and simply leave it as 0.125, you are misrepresenting the result, which leads to an incorrect understanding of the proportion in terms of percentage.

This highlights the importance of the multiplication by 100 in the conversion process. The answer directly addresses the common mistake of miscalculation in percentage determination, emphasizing the need for precision in mathematical operations related to percentages.