At a contest with 500 participants, 1/2 of the people are aged 28 to 32. Next year, the number of people aged 28 to 32 will increase by 1/8. After this change, what percentage of the total 500 people will the 28- to 32-year-olds represent? Choose the correct choice from the following choices:
A) 33.25% B) 40.25% C) 50.25% D) 55.25% E) 56.25%
I just wanted to mention a couple of things here:   * this is a pure ratio question; the number 500 is completely irrelevant, and you can ignore it if you like. When we increase something by 1/8, we are multiplying it by 1 + 1/8 = 9/8, so the answer here must be (1/2)*(9/8) = 9/16 = 56.25 %.   Answer is 56.25%
<result>E</result>
At a contest with 500 participants, 1/2 of the people are aged 28 to 32. Next year, the number of people aged 28 to 32 will increase by 1/8. After this change, what percentage of the total 500 people will the 28- to 32-year-olds represent?