this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2025
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A collection of some classic Lemmy memes for your enjoyment

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[–] FardyCakes@lemmy.world 203 points 3 days ago (6 children)

This is blowing my fucking mind like an artillery shell

[–] bizarroland@lemmy.world 116 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Yeah, I personally find it a lot easier to compute 13% of 17, rather than 17% of 13.

[–] untorquer@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

.2*13=2.6

.03*13=0.39

2.6-0.39=2.21

My brain is maybe a weird place 😂

[–] ObviouslyNotBanana@piefed.world 60 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Same with 375% of 20 rather than 20% of 375.

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 47 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Damn, it still worked. Holy shit.

[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 54 points 3 days ago (4 children)

The few times I've seen you on Lemmy, it takes me a few seconds to process your username. Today, I had my favorite misreading yet: pronounced Ivana footerall

[–] ObviouslyNotBanana@piefed.world 42 points 3 days ago

Thanks, now I can't unsee that, fartographer

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[–] Hadriscus@jlai.lu 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Can we say "commutative" in this case ?

[–] Droggelbecher@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah stuff like that really ain't it. It works in a few use cases, but is objectively wrong and detracts from understanding the topic properly. That's why I teach percentages as the fractions they are. By the time you learn percentages, you already know multiplying fractions is commutative, so the trick still works, and you also understand why.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

that’s why I teach percentages as the fractions they are

What about pi%?

[–] Droggelbecher@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

That's pi/100 still. Didn't say it was a rational number, just that it was a fraction. Though I don't see a context where it'd make sense.

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

For real? I've never though of this. This may actually be useful!

[–] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

% really just means *1/100 - it doesn't matter where you apply that factor: 6% of 50 = 6% * 50 = 6/100 * 50 = 6*50/100 = 6 * 50/100

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Where were you when I failed math 101 4 times?

Thanks!

I was probably on a different continent ^^ Also, the biggest problem explaining math is not making it understandable, but having a motivated learner. Most students that have a bad teacher in school, or are somehow not motivated in school to begin with, will also not be motivated to focus on easier explanations. Technically a basic interest in math should be fostered / encouraged in kids from an early age, and at the latest in elementary school. If that does not work out, many students will have a hard time with it.

You are welcome.

[–] wabasso@lemmy.ca 104 points 3 days ago (5 children)

x/100 * y = x * 1/100 * y = x * y/100

I never would have thought of it myself and still feel like I should have thought of it myself.

[–] shoo@lemmy.world 46 points 3 days ago (2 children)

My dyscalculic ass trying to remember what 50% of 6 is

[–] ObviouslyNotBanana@piefed.world 16 points 3 days ago

Probably 5 tbh

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[–] Furbag@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (12 children)

This is the coolest trick since I learned about the "quick 20% tip on your tab" method. Take the total bill, move the decimal point one place over to the left, then multiply it by 2 to get 20% gratuity. I will sometimes round down on the change to make it closer to 18%. Also I only really need to do this when I'm drunk and can't maths.

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[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 26 points 3 days ago (1 children)

6/100 * 50 = 50/100 * 6
6 * 1/100 * 50 = 50 * 1/100 * 6

[–] pennomi@lemmy.world 68 points 3 days ago (7 children)
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[–] apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world 74 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This is great. I won't remember it when I will need it.

[–] ObviouslyNotBanana@piefed.world 36 points 3 days ago (6 children)

Just save the meme in the maths folder!

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[–] Grerkol@leminal.space 16 points 3 days ago

Most of the people explaining this still make it more complicated than it needs to be, imo.

I just think the symbol "%" algebraically means 0.01

[–] Jankatarch@lemmy.world 31 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

6*50/100 = 50*6/100 if anyone is curious why this works.

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[–] deadinside91@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Today I learned, thank you wise panzer

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[–] infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 39 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Legitimately new knowledge for me that will literally make my work easier. Wish I could give you more than 100% of 1 upvote, OP!

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[–] clot27@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago

maths is the same in both case but I get it, for small numbers this is useful

[–] Deflated0ne@lemmy.world 40 points 3 days ago

I'm gonna track down all my HS math teachers and punch each and every one of them in the mouth.

[–] justme@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 3 days ago

commutable...

[–] phx@lemmy.ca 19 points 3 days ago

Huh. Learning a fun and cool math trick was not on the list of expected outcomes for today, but I'll take it!

[–] dohpaz42@lemmy.world 25 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yes, 47% of 47 is certainly much easier to determine when you look at it as 47% of 47! Genius!

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 24 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (12 children)

You can also

Multiply one side, divide the other to get the base number to get the base number to 100.

6% of 50 == 3% of 100 == 3

5% of 20 == 1% of 100 == 1

7% of 50 == 3.5℅ of 100 == 3.5

~~14% of 200 == 7% of 100 == 7~~

Edit* as pointed out below, this one was incorrect.

14% of 200 == 28% of 100 == 28

You don't have to stop at percentage either.

25 * 16 = 100 * 4

If you're doing addition, you can add and subtract.

27 + 13 = 20 + 20

Most of the difficulty is in realizing that one number or the other can be brought up to a nice round number, making the equation simple to do in your head. And obviously, just getting to around number on one side doesn't always make it easy on the other side.

I always loved screwing with math problems to make them easier, which is weird, because overall, I don't really care for math.

I also do shit like borrowing a couple of numbers to make the equation easy and then pull them back out.

392 / 4 == (400 - 8) / 4 == (100-2) = 98

376 / 4 == (400-24)/4 =100-6=94

Of course it goes up a level when the remainder isn't evenly divisible. But I still find it's something I can handle in my head.

371 / 4 == (400-29)/4= 100-7¼ =100-7.25=92.75

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[–] ZoDoneRightNow@kbin.earth 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Surprised how many people don’t know this. I suspect it is because people forget that percent literally means per 100 or /100 and the of is standing in for multiplication. So 6% of 50 is 6/100 * 50 or 6 * 50 * 1/100

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[–] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 34 points 3 days ago (7 children)

That's because multiplication is commutative

taking a percentage of something essentially means multiplying it with a hundreath of the percentage
6% of 50 essentially means 50 * 0.06
or 50 * 6 * 0.01

and since
50 * 6 * 0.01 = 6 * 50 * 0.01
then of course
50 * 0.06 = 6 * 0.5

And we have the above

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