24 athletes threw the shot put at a track and field meet. If this was [tex]\frac{15}{100}[/tex] of all the athletes in the meet, how many athletes competed in the meet in total?



Answer :

To determine the total number of athletes who competed in the track and field meet, we need to use the information given. Here’s the step-by-step solution:

1. Identify the given data:
- The number of athletes who threw the shot put: 24.
- This number represents [tex]\(\frac{15}{100}\)[/tex] (or 15%) of the total athletes at the meet.

2. Understand the problem:
- We know that 24 athletes make up 15% of the total number of athletes. Our goal is to find the total number of athletes.

3. Set up the equation:
Let [tex]\( \text{Total Athletes} \)[/tex] be [tex]\( T \)[/tex].
According to the problem, 24 athletes is 15% of [tex]\( T \)[/tex]:

[tex]\[ 24 = \frac{15}{100} \times T \][/tex]

4. Convert the percentage to a decimal:
- [tex]\(\frac{15}{100} = 0.15\)[/tex]

So the equation becomes:

[tex]\[ 24 = 0.15 \times T \][/tex]

5. Solve for [tex]\( T \)[/tex]:
- To isolate [tex]\( T \)[/tex], divide both sides of the equation by 0.15:

[tex]\[ T = \frac{24}{0.15} \][/tex]

6. Perform the division:
- Calculating [tex]\(\frac{24}{0.15}\)[/tex]:

[tex]\[ T = 160 \][/tex]

Therefore, the total number of athletes who competed in the meet is [tex]\( 160 \)[/tex].