The fraction 9/42 works out to 21.43% when you turn it into a percentage. This is the rounded value you’ll see on most calculators or worksheets.
If you simplify 9/42, you get the smaller fraction 3/14. Both fractions represent the same part of a whole, just written in different ways.
A percentage like 21.43% can be useful when you need to compare parts of a whole in everyday situations—like figuring out a discount or a test score. It tells you quickly how big the piece is relative to 100.
Remember, whether you use the fraction 9/42, the simpler 3/14, or the percentage 21.43%, they all describe the same portion.