3/15 = 20%
A fraction like 3/15, or 20%, can show up when 3 out of 15 people in a group choose the same option. For example, it could describe the share of students who ride the bus, customers who use a coupon, or books on a shelf that are mysteries.
To picture 3/15 quickly, imagine 15 equal spots with 3 of them shaded. It is one-fifth of the whole, so you can estimate it as about a small but noticeable portion—roughly 2 out of every 10 items.
A common mistake is thinking 3/15 is larger than 20% because both numbers in the fraction may seem significant. The denominator matters because it tells you the total group, so 3 out of 15 is much different from 3 out of 5.
