Assuming the size of the whole remains constant, as you divide the whole into more pieces, each piece must be smaller. For example, when a whole is divided into four pieces vs nine pieces, 1/4 of the whole is larger than 1/9 of a whole.
So 36% of x is 18
percent is parts out of 100
36%=36/100=0.36
'of' can be translated as muitiply
0.36 times x=18
divide both sdies by .36
x=50
the number is 50
