Hello!
Add the costs of the basketball and the soccerball together:
78 + 32 = 110
Next, Gabriella must pay 8.5% sales tax. Sales tax is money collected by the government, so it is added onto the purchase.
First, we must find what 8.5% of 110 is. To do that, convert the percentage to a decimal by dividing it by 100, then multiply the total cost of the two balls by the decimal.
8.5% ÷ 100 = 0.085
110 × 0.085 = 9.35
Finally, add the sales tax to the cost of the two balls:
110 + 9.35 = 119.35
ANSWER:
The total amount Gabriella will pay is $119.35.