To determine the percentage of students in the sample who prefer cats, follow these steps:
1. Identify the number of students who prefer cats.
From the table, the total number of students who prefer cats is 36.
2. Identify the total number of students surveyed.
From the table, the total number of students surveyed is 100.
3. Calculate the percentage of students who prefer cats.
To find this percentage, use the formula:
[tex]\[
\text{Percentage of students who prefer cats} = \left( \frac{\text{Number of students who prefer cats}}{\text{Total number of students surveyed}} \right) \times 100
\][/tex]
Plugging in the values:
[tex]\[
\text{Percentage of students who prefer cats} = \left( \frac{36}{100} \right) \times 100 = 36.0\%
\][/tex]
4. Round the percentage to the nearest whole number.
[tex]\[
36.0\% \text{ rounded to the nearest percent is } 36\%.
\][/tex]
Therefore, the percentage of students in the sample who prefer cats is [tex]\( \boxed{36\%} \)[/tex].
