I need some math help...read the descriptor?

Think of the decimal point as being fixed and the % as a sliding scale. 1% of a billion is 1 million (you moved the decimal over 2 spaces to the right same as you would for 1% of 100 -> 1) by moving it 2 more spaces the .12 of a billion becomes 12% of 1 million. Move it over another 4 spaces and you get 120,000

Thanks so much...was doing my head in.

Yes. A billion has 9 zeros and a decimal place removes a zero, so, as you have done, 2 decimal places as in .12 removes 2 zeros.

fantastic Andrew and thanks for the formula... my calculator only displays 8 digits tho... I resorted to using millions instead of billions to try and work my answer out ... so to end this may I ask is .12 billion = 120,000,000 and what would be your formulae for such.

In UK and US it is 120 million but in most of continental europe and elsewheere it is 120 thousand million. One is 'short scale' and one is 'long scale'. It is easier to work with the full number rather than their names. i.e 4,000,000,000 is 4 billion in US and UK.
To work out a percentage, divide by 100 then multiple by the percentage figure you want.
4,000,000,000 / 100 = 4,000,000 x 97 = 3,880,000,000

Thanks Timothy finally someone took me seriously... but what is .12 billion (is that a 120 million ? )

Sorry,97%=3.88 billion and 3%=.12 billion

97% equals 3.88 billion and 3% equals to 0.22 billion

I cant figure it out.. I get around 3.8 billion against 200,0 million is that correct ?

thanks Matrix.. but I really want an answer here in numbers..