SQB Logo
sqbofficial

Question the-li

3.2 Percentages - Percent increase/decrease
0:00

The figure presents a line graph. The horizontal axis is labeled “Year,” and the years 2003 through 2015 are indied. The vertical axis is labeled “Annual snowfall, in inches,” and the numbers 0 through 60, in increments of 10, are indied. There are 13 points indied on the graph. The data represented by the 13 points are as follows. Note that all values are approximate. Year, 2003. Number of inches, 40. Year, 2004. Number of inches, 12. Year, 2005. Number of inches, 13. Year, 2006. Number of inches, 14. Year, 2007. Number of inches, 10. Year, 2008. Number of inches, 5. Year, 2009. Number of inches, 8. Year, 2010. Number of inches, 56. Year, 2011. Number of inches, 10. Year, 2012. Number of inches, 3. Year, 2013. Number of inches, 4. Year, 2014. Number of inches, 32. Year, 2015. Number of inches, 19.


The line graph shows the total amount of snow, in inches, recorded each year in Washington, DC, from 2003 to 2015. If p percent is the percent decrease in the annual snowfall from 2003 to 2007, what is the value of p ?

Enter your answer:

The line graph shows the total amount of snow, in inches, recorded each year in Washington,

Hard-difficulty · SAT Math · Percentages — Percent increase/decrease. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 75. The percent decrease between two values is found by dividing the difference between the two values by the original value and multiplying by 100. The line graph shows that the annual snowfall in 2003 was 40 inches, and the annual snowfall in 2007 was 10 inches. Therefore, the percent decrease in the annual snowfall from 2003 to 2007 is open parenthesis, the fraction with numerator 40 minus 10, and denominator 40, close parenthesis, times 100, or 75. It’s given that this is equivalent to p percent, so the value of p is 75.

More Percentages practice questions

Browse all Problem-Solving and Data Analysis practice questions or return to the full SAT question bank.