Question: Shellie sells computers. She earns a 12% commission on each computer she sells. How much commission will she earn if she sells 15 computers for $650 each?
Answer: $1170
Explanation:
Let's begin by noting that earning a commission means that Shellie will earn a portion of the good's cost when she sells it.
First, let's calculate the commission Shellie earns from selling 1 computer at $650. This will make calculations a bit easier. We are given in the original problem that she earns a 12% commission on each computer sold. Therefore, all we have to do is calculate 12% of 650.
To calculate a percentage of a quantity, simply convert the percentage into a decimal and multiply it by the quantity. In this case, we have 0.12 · 650 = $78 earned in commission from one computer.
Now that we know the commission earned from one computer, all we have to do know is multiply that number by 15, as the problem tells us she is selling 15 computers at the same price of $650. Thus, Shellie earns $78 · 15 = $1170 in commission for selling 15 computers at $650 each.