Question

Naty bought a dress for $24.95 and a skirt for $14.95.

The sales clerk said the total cost including 9.5% sales
tax was 49.40. Below are the steps the clerk completed.
Step 1: 24.95 + 14.95 = 39.90
Step 2: 39.90 +9.5 = 49.40
Are the clerk's steps correct? If she is incorrect, identify
her mistake and explain her error. Explain in writing how
to accurately calculate the sales tax, total cost, and state
the correct total. (Round final answer to the nearest
hundredth)

Answer 1

Total items = $39.90

Sales tax amount = $3.7905

Total cost = $43.691

The clerk's error is using 9.5 as sales tax amount instead of finding 9.5% of the total items

Explanation:

Dress = $24.95

Skirt = $14.95

steps the clerk completed.

Step 1: 24.95 + 14.95 = 39.90

Step 2: 39.90 +9.5 = 49.40

Correct steps:

Total items = dress + skirt

= $24.95 + $14.95

= $39.90

Sales tax = 9.5%

Sales tax amount = 9.5% of total

= 9.5/100 × $39.90

= 0.095 × 39.90

= $3.7905

Total cost = Total + sales tax amount

= $39.90 + $3.7905

= $43.6905

To the nearest hundredth

= $43.691

Sales tax is the amount of money imposed by government on the sales of some items

Total cost is the cost of all items including sales tax