Final answer:
To calculate a 15% tip on a meal costing $38.40, you convert the percentage to a decimal (0.15) and multiply it by the meal cost, resulting in a tip of $5.76.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate a 15% tip on a meal that costs $38.40, you should first turn the percentage into a decimal by dividing it by 100. This gives 0.15. Then, you multiply this decimal by the cost of the meal to find the tip amount.
Tip amount = Tip percentage as a decimal × Total cost of the meal
Tip = 0.15 × $38.40
Now, calculating the multiplication:
Tip = $5.76
Therefore, a 15% tip on a $38.40 meal is $5.76.