I’m having a complete and utter total mental block.

Using a calculator only:

if 20,000 is an increase of 25%, what was the original figure?

I know the answer is 16,000, but what is the correct method for working out?

You’d never believe that A level maths, a degree and working with numbers my whole career could lead me to this would you? 😳

(20,000 / 125) * 100

20000 = 125%

Divide by 5
Multiply by 4

Shitting phone 😡

20000 / 125 x 100

Of course it is.

Thank you, I’ll now bugger off suitably embarrassed.

You think that’s bad, a colleague of mine had to ask around the office earlier what 400 / 8 was as she couldn’t find her calculator. 🙄

a colleague of mine had to ask around the office earlier what 400 / 8 was as she couldn’t find her calculator.

FFS!

Get the boss to send her here for a couple of hours:
http://www.khanacademy.org/#arithmetic

One of the all time classic Blackadder clips:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klEOETJrUjI[/video]

x + (x * 0.25) = 20,000
1.25x = 20,000
x = 20,000/1.25
x = 16000

Hope this Helps !!!