Final answer:
To find out what number 42 is 21% of, set up the equation 42 = 21% × W, and solve for W. After dividing both sides by 0.21, you find that 42 is 21% of 200.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the problem 42 is 21% of what number, you can set up an equation in the form part = percent × whole.
Here, the part is 42 and the percent is 21%. The whole is what we are trying to find. Let's represent the whole with 'W'.
The equation becomes: 42 = 21% × W or 42 = 0.21 × W
To find 'W', we divide both sides of the equation by 0.21:
W = 42 / 0.21
W = 200
So, 42 is 21% of 200.