In a box of electric bulbs, `12%` are defective. If 176 bulbs are good , how many bulbs are defective?

Answer

To solve the problem step by step, we will follow these instructions:

### Step 1: Define the total number of bulbs
Let the total number of bulbs be represented as \( x \).

**Hint:** Start by defining the variable for the total quantity you want to find.

### Step 2: Determine the percentage of good bulbs
Since 12% of the bulbs are defective, the percentage of good bulbs is:
\[ 100\% - 12\% = 88\% \]

**Hint:** Subtract the defective percentage from 100% to find the percentage of good items.

### Step 3: Set up the equation
We know that 88% of the total bulbs is equal to the number of good bulbs, which is given as 176. Therefore, we can write the equation:
\[ \frac{88}{100} \times x = 176 \]

**Hint:** Use the relationship between percentage and the actual quantity to set up your equation.

### Step 4: Solve for \( x \)
To find \( x \), rearrange the equation:
\[ x = 176 \times \frac{100}{88} \]
Calculating this gives:
\[ x = 176 \times \frac{100}{88} = 200 \]

**Hint:** Multiply both sides of the equation by the reciprocal of the fraction to isolate \( x \).

### Step 5: Calculate the number of defective bulbs
Now that we have the total number of bulbs \( x = 200 \), we can find the number of defective bulbs. Since 12% of the bulbs are defective:
\[ \text{Number of defective bulbs} = \frac{12}{100} \times 200 \]
Calculating this gives:
\[ \text{Number of defective bulbs} = 24 \]

**Hint:** Use the percentage of defective bulbs to find the actual number by multiplying it with the total.

### Final Answer
The number of defective bulbs is **24**.

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