There are 65 students who walk to West Middle School each day. This is \( 12.5 \% \) of the total number of students at the school. How many students attend West Middle School?

To find the total number of students at West Middle School, we can set up the relationship based on the percentage given. If 65 students represent \( 12.5\% \), we can use the formula: \[ \text{Total Students} = \frac{\text{Number of Students Walking}}{\text{Percentage in Decimal Form}} \] Plugging in the numbers: \[ \text{Total Students} = \frac{65}{0.125} = 520 \] So, there are 520 students who attend West Middle School! For a fun fact, the percentage 12.5% can also be expressed as a fraction: it's equivalent to \( \frac{1}{8} \). This means that if you divided the total number of students into 8 equal groups, 1 group would be made up of those 65 students walking to school! If you're ever faced with percentages in real life, think of proportions! For instance, if you know that \( x\% \) of a total amount equals a certain number, you can rearrange the formula to find the total amount. Be careful, though—one common mistake is forgetting to convert the percentage into decimal form, which can lead you astray!