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Although percentages greater than 100% are sometimes reported, strictly speaking, doing so is ___________.

a. Justifiable
b. Accurate
c. Misleading
d. Permissible

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Reporting percentages greater than 100% is accurate and permissible in the context of values increasing by more than their original amount, but can be misleading if not clearly communicated due to the common expectation of percentages being between 0-100%.

Step-by-step explanation:

Reporting percentages greater than 100% can sometimes cause confusion, but whether it is justifiable depends on the context. If, mathematically, a value has increased by more than its original amount, a percentage greater than 100% accurately describes this change. For instance, if a company's profits doubled, this would be a 100% increase, but if they tripled, the increase would be 200%. In this sense, using a percentage greater than 100% is both accurate and permissible.

However, it could be misleading if the audience expects values to be within a 0-100% range, as this is often assumed to be the norm. It is therefore important to clearly communicate when percentages exceed 100% to avoid any potential confusion. The context of reporting such a figure is crucial to determine whether it's appropriate to use.

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