To determine what percentage of her initial amount of money Helen spent, we need to follow these steps:
1. Identify the initial amount: Helen initially had \[tex]$12.
2. Identify the amount spent: Helen spent \$[/tex]3.
3. Calculate the percentage spent:
- First, we divide the amount spent by the initial amount to find the fraction of the initial amount that was spent.
- Then, we multiply that fraction by 100 to convert it to a percentage.
The calculation can be broken down as follows:
1. Amount spent (3) divided by the initial amount (12) gives the fraction spent:
[tex]\[
\frac{3}{12} = 0.25
\][/tex]
2. To convert this fraction to a percentage, multiply by 100:
[tex]\[
0.25 \times 100 = 25\%
\][/tex]
Thus, Helen spent [tex]\( 25\% \)[/tex] of her initial amount. Therefore, the correct answer is:
[tex]$25 \%$[/tex]