Question

Eddie purchased 4 packages of light bulbs and received a 15% discount. He also paid $4.85 in taxes on his purchase. Write an algebraic expression to represent the total amount Eddie paid. Let x represent the cost of each package purchased.

Answer 1

Okay. An algebraic expression we can use here is 4x * 0.85 + 4.85= t. I say this, because "x" equals the amount paid per package of light bulbs and he paid for 4 of them. He received a 15% discount for purchasing 4 packages of light bulbs, but he would still have to pay 85% (0.85 in decimal form) of the price. Then, $4.85 are added to his purchases. I put the "t" in the algebraic expression to represent the total cost of the purchase together, including tax and discount. The algebraic expression is 4x * 0.85 + 4.85.