SAT Math : Arithmetic

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #321 : Arithmetic

Julie goes shopping at Gap. There is a storewide sale of 30% off. She buys a sweater on clearance that gets an additional 50% off. If the sweater was originally $50, how much did she pay?

Possible Answers:

$21.50

$25

$35

$10

$17.50

Correct answer:

$17.50

Explanation:

The original price was $50. First you take 30% off (50 * (100 - 30)/100 = $35). Then you take an additional 50% off the new price (35 * 50/100 = 17.50)

Example Question #322 : Arithmetic

If Stacy paid $26 for a shirt at a 30%-off sale, what was the original price of the shirt?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

If the shirt is $26 after 30% was taken off, then cost of the the shirt ($26) is 70% of the original price.

We set up an equation that states:

0.7x = 26 (0.7 is the decimal value of 70%)

x = 26/0.7 = $37.14

Example Question #323 : Arithmetic

A pair of shoes originally sells for $250.  There is a sale, and the shoes are then sold for 20% off. The shoes are then marked down an additional 35%.  If sales tax is 7%, what can you buy the pair of shoes for today, including tax?

Possible Answers:

$137.00

$139.10

$162.50

$214.70

$130.00

Correct answer:

$139.10

Explanation:

The shoes are first marked down 20%. 

20% of $250 = .2 x $250 = $50

Sales price = $250 - $50 = $200

The second markdown is 35%. 

35% of $200 = .35 x $200 = $70

New price = $200 - $70 = $130

Calculate the sales tax:

7% of $130 = .07 x $130 = $9.10

Total price = $130 + $9.10 = $139.10

Example Question #15 : How To Find The Sale Price

Your friend works at a computer store. She can get a 15% discount on any item’s current price for as many items as she wants. She wants to buy a laptop for $2200 and a smartphone for $200. Local sales tax where your friend lives is 8%. What will be her total cost to buy these two items?

Possible Answers:

$2040

$2592

$2400

$2203.20

$1848.08

Correct answer:

$2203.20

Explanation:

First, find the total price of the products $2200 + $200 = $2400. 

Then apply the 15% discount: $2400 * 0.15 = $360

Subtract the discount: $2400 – $360 = $2040. 

Then find cost of sales tax $2040 * 0.08 = 163.20  

Add: $2040 + 163.20 = $2203.20. 

(An alternative would be to multiply the cost by 1.08.)

Example Question #11 : How To Find The Sale Price

A person is shopping for clothes and notices that a pair of pants that reguarly costs $50 are 30% off. This person also has a coupon for 15% off of pants that can be applied after the sale price. What is the final price of the pants that person will pay in dollars? (Assume there is no sales tax)

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

First multiply the cost of the pants by the sale price and subtract this value to give the sale price of the pants. 

Then apply the coupon by multiplying this price by the value of the coupon and subtracting it from the sale price of the pants. 

Alternatively, start by subtracting the discount from one and multiply by the cost of the pants.

Then take the discount of the coupon and subtract it from 1 and multiply by the sale value of the pants.

Example Question #12 : How To Find The Sale Price

A customer wants to buy a candy bar that costs fifty cents.  It is taxed at eleven percent by the store.  What's the price that the customer has to pay, rounded to the nearest cent?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To determine the final price, take the original price of the candy bar plus the tax of the original price.  Write the expression and simplify.

 

The customer will have to pay  for the candy bar.

Example Question #1207 : Sat Mathematics

Margaret has been given a gift card with $150 worth of credit on it. She wants to spend it at the store where her father works, because she will get a 12 1/2 % employee's family discount. Also, the sales tax at the store is 8%.

The price tag on a pair of shoes that she wants to buy there says $200.00. If Margaret decides to buy the shoes and use the credit on her gift card, how much will she have to pay out of her own pocket?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Margaret is getting a 12 1/2 %, or 12.5 %, discount off a $200 pair of shoes; this is

Subtract this discount from the price of the shoes; Margaret will pay 

,

excluding sales tax.

8% of this price is 

,

which, when added to the price, yields 

.

Margaret has $150 of credit on her gift card, so she will pay 

out of her own pocket.

Example Question #21 : Sale Prices

A two-liter bottle of Zippy Zuppy soda costs $1.49. However, as part of a promotion to mark its ninth anniversary, if nine or more bottles are purchased, the store is offering a savings of 19%.

Jerry purchases two two-liter bottles each of Zippy Zuppy cola, Zippy Zuppy strawberry soda, Zippy Zuppy grape soda, and Zippy Zuppy orange soda. After a sales tax of 5.5%, how much will Jerry pay for the soda (nearest cent)?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Jerry is purchasing  bottles of soda; since he needs to purchase nine bottles to get the discount, he will pay full price, which, before tax, is

.

The sales tax is 5.5% of this, or

 (rounded to the nearest cent)

Add this:

,

which is what Jerry will pay.

Example Question #161 : Percentage

The price of a coffeemaker has been marked down 20% for a clearance sale. Tom buys the coffeemaker with a $10.00 coupon and pays $134.44. Give the price of the coffeemaker before the markdown and excluding the coupon. 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

A coupon is applied to the sale price of an item, so the first deduction is the clearance markdown.

Let  be the original price of the coffeemaker. The appliance has been marked down 20%, which means that the sale price is

.

The coupon takes $10 off the price, so the coffeemaker sells for 

 dollars. Set this equal to the actual cost of the coffeemaker, $134.44:

Solving for :

,

the correct response is 

Example Question #161 : Percentage

A two-liter bottle of Zippy Zuppy soda costs $1.39. However, as part of a promotion to mark its sixteenth anniversary, if ten or more bottles are purchased, the store is offering a savings of 16%.

Floyd purchases six two-liter bottles of Zippy Zuppy cola, four two-liter bottles of Zippy Zuppy ginger ale, and two two-liter bottles of Zippy Zuppy orange soda. After a sales tax of 6.5%, how much will Floyd pay for the soda (nearest cent)?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Floyd purchases  bottles of soda, so he will get the discount. Before the discount, the price of the soda is

The amount of the discount is 16% of this, or (rounding to the nearest cent)

making the price before tax

.

The sales tax is 6.5% of this, or (again, rounding to the nearest cent)

Add this:

,

the amount Floyd pays.

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