Understanding the Data and the Question

The question asks us to find the approximate percentage of the number of girls in College A relative to the total number of students in College B. We are given a table showing the percentage distribution of students across six colleges (A-F) and the actual number of boys in each college. The total number of students across all six colleges is 12000.

Data Analysis from the Table

Let's look at the provided table:

Total number of students in all colleges = 12000.

Step-by-Step Calculation

Step 1: Calculate the total number of students in College A and College B.

The total number of students in each college can be found using the percentage distribution and the overall total number of students (12000).

• Total students in College A = 12% of 12000
• Total students in College B = 9% of 12000

Calculation for College A:

\(\text{Total students in College A} = \frac{12}{100} \times 12000 = 12 \times 120 = 1440\)

Calculation for College B:

\(\text{Total students in College B} = \frac{9}{100} \times 12000 = 9 \times 120 = 1080\)

Step 2: Calculate the number of girls in College A.

We know the total number of students in College A and the number of boys in College A. The number of girls is the difference.

• Total students in College A = 1440
• Number of boys in College A = 1000

Calculation for girls in College A:

\(\text{Number of girls in College A} = \text{Total students in College A} - \text{Number of boys in College A}\)

\(\text{Number of girls in College A} = 1440 - 1000 = 440\)

Step 3: Calculate the required percentage.

We need to find what percentage the number of girls in College A (440) is of the total number of students in College B (1080).

Required Percentage = \(\left(\frac{\text{Number of girls in College A}}{\text{Total students in College B}}\right) \times 100\)

Required Percentage = \(\left(\frac{440}{1080}\right) \times 100\)

Simplify the fraction:

Required Percentage = \(\left(\frac{44}{108}\right) \times 100\)

Divide both numerator and denominator by 4:

Required Percentage = \(\left(\frac{11}{27}\right) \times 100\)

Now, calculate the value:

\(\frac{11}{27} \approx 0.4074\)

Required Percentage \(\approx 0.4074 \times 100 \approx 40.74\)

Step 4: Approximate the result.

The question asks for the approximate percentage. The calculated percentage is approximately 40.74%. Looking at the options, the closest value is 40.

Conclusion

The number of girls in College A is 440. The total number of students in College B is 1080. The percentage of girls in College A compared to total students in College B is approximately 40.74%, which is closest to 40%.

Revision Table: Key Calculations

Additional Information: Data Interpretation Tips

Data interpretation questions often require careful reading of tables and passages to extract the necessary information. Here are some tips:

• Understand the Data: Before solving, spend a moment to understand what the table or chart represents. Look at the headings and labels.
• Identify the Goal: Clearly understand what the question is asking you to find. Break down complex questions into smaller steps.
• Extract Relevant Data: Pinpoint only the data points needed for your specific calculation. Ignore irrelevant information.
• Perform Calculations: Use the extracted data to perform the required calculations (percentage, ratio, average, difference, etc.). Be mindful of whether the question asks for exact values or approximations.
• Check Units: Ensure you are working with consistent units and interpreting percentages correctly.
• Approximate Carefully: If the question asks for an approximation, calculate the exact value first and then choose the closest option.

Practice with various types of data representation (tables, bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs) to improve your skills in data interpretation.