Question

A store is having a sale in which all items are reduced by 20 percent. Including tax, Jennifer paid $21 for a pair of shorts. If the sales tax is 5 percent, what was the original price of the shorts

Answer 1

Answer: The original price of the shorts was $25.

Explanation:

Let the original price of the shorts be x

Reduced price = 20%

New price will be

`x-20\%x=x-0.2x=0.8x`

Rate of sales tax = 5%

So, Amount of tax will be given by

`5\%\ of\ 0.8x\\\\=(5)/(100)* 0.8x\\\\=0.04x`

Amount after tax will become

`0.8x+0.04x\\\\=0.84x`

According to question, it becomes,

`0.84x=\$21\\\\x=(21)/(0.84)=\$25`

Hence, the original price of the shorts was $25.