A toy store regularly sells all stock at a discount of 20 percent to 40 percent. If an additional 25 percent were deducted from the discount price during a special sale, what would be the lowest possible price of a toy costing $16 before any discount? Math Work: 0.20 + 0.40 + 0.25 = 0.85 0.85(16) = 13.60 0.25(16) = 4 13.60 - 4 = 9.60 1.00 - 0.85 = 2.40 9.60 - 2.40 = 7.20 The answer is 7 dollars and 20 cents. Yes? 2. Re: Lowest Price of Toy Originally Posted by harpazo A toy store regularly sells all stock at a discount of 20 percent to 40 percent. If an additional 25 percent were deducted from the discount price during a special sale, what would be the lowest possible price of a toy costing$16 before any discount?

Math Work:

0.20 + 0.40 + 0.25 = 0.85 You can't add these percentages together because 20% represents 20% of original price and 25% represents 25% of discount price. Since they are not percentages of the same thing, they can't be added. You can't simplify 0.20a + 0.25b.

0.85(16) = 13.60

0.25(16) = 4

13.60 - 4 = 9.60

1.00 - 0.85 = 2.40 ??? What's going on here?

9.60 - 2.40 = 7.20

The answer is 7 dollars and 20 cents.

Yes?
The answer is 7 dollars and 20 cents, but I can't understand your logic.

If you want to find the lowest possible price, you obviously have to apply the largest discount, which is 40%.

16 - 40% of 16 = 60% of 16 = 9.60

Then an additional 25% (of the discounted price) is applied:

9.60 - 25% of 9.60 = 75% of 9.60 = 7.20

You appear to be misunderstanding the words "a discount of 20 percent to 40 percent." That does NOT mean that you take discounts of both 20% and 40%. It means that the discount can be, I presume depending on the individual item, anywhere from 20% to 40%- it can be any percentage in that range. But since the problem asks about the "lowest possible price", we can assume the largest discount, 40%. The original price was $16 then the discount would be (0.40)(16)=$6.40 so price after that discount is 16- 6.40= $9.60 (we could also do this as (1- 0.4)(16)= (0.60)(16)=$9.60). The additional 25% reduction is, as Debsta said, 25% of that lower price: (0.25)(9.60)= $2.40. The final price would be 9.60- 2.40=$7.20. (Again, we could have calculated that price as (1- 0.25)(9.60)= (0.75)(9.60)= $7.20. 4. Re: Lowest Price of Toy Originally Posted by Debsta The answer is 7 dollars and 20 cents, but I can't understand your logic. If you want to find the lowest possible price, you obviously have to apply the largest discount, which is 40%. 16 - 40% of 16 = 60% of 16 = 9.60 Then an additional 25% (of the discounted price) is applied: 9.60 - 25% of 9.60 = 75% of 9.60 = 7.20 Wow! I used incorrect calculations and yet ended up with the right answer. This is funny. LOL X 3. 5. Re: Lowest Price of Toy Originally Posted by HallsofIvy You appear to be misunderstanding the words "a discount of 20 percent to 40 percent." That does NOT mean that you take discounts of both 20% and 40%. It means that the discount can be, I presume depending on the individual item, anywhere from 20% to 40%- it can be any percentage in that range. But since the problem asks about the "lowest possible price", we can assume the largest discount, 40%. The original price was$16 then the discount would be (0.40)(16)= $6.40 so price after that discount is 16- 6.40=$9.60 (we could also do this as (1- 0.4)(16)= (0.60)(16)= $9.60). The additional 25% reduction is, as Debsta said, 25% of that lower price: (0.25)(9.60)=$2.40. The final price would be 9.60- 2.40= $7.20. (Again, we could have calculated that price as (1- 0.25)(9.60)= (0.75)(9.60)=$7.20.
I thank you, too but again, your LaTex continues to be overshadowed by your words or explanation along the way. This is very funny to me. I arrived at the right answer using the wrong calculations. Yes, I got confused with the words "a discount of 20 percent to 40 percent" which I now can see that it does NOT mean to multiply by 20 percent and 40 percent, respectively.