Question

in 2006, there were 12,440 starbucks stores worldwide. this is approximately 1126% more stores than 10 years earlier. How many Starbucks stores were there in 1996?
I can't figure out how to set up this problem when the percent of increase is greater than 100

Answer 1

let's say there were "x" in 1996, therefore, "x" is the 100%.

10 years later, there are 12440, and that is 1126% "more" than "x", since "x" is 100%, 1126% more than that is 100% + 1126%, or 1226%.

so, 12440 is really 1226% of whatever "x" happened to have been back then in 1996.

now, since we know that 12440 is 1226%, what is "x" then?

$\bf \begin{array}{ccll} amount&\%\\ \text{\textemdash\textemdash\textemdash}&\text{\textemdash\textemdash\textemdash}\\ x&100\\ 12440&1226 \end{array}\implies \cfrac{x}{12440}=\cfrac{100}{1226}\implies x=\cfrac{12440\cdot 100}{1226}$