Question

Guy and Jim work at a furniture store. Guy is paid $185 per week plus 3% of his total sales in

dollars, x, which can be represented by g(x) = 185 + 0.03x. Jim is paid $275 per week plus 2.5%
of his total sales in dollars, x, which can be represented by f(x) = 275 + 0.025x. Determine the
value of x, in dollars, that will make their weekly pay the same.

Answer 1

Guy's weekly pay is:
185 dollars + 3/100 * x (3 percent of X -> his total weekly sales in dollars).
Jim's weekly pay is:
275 dollars + 25/1000 * x (2.5 percent of X -> his total weekly sales in dollars, i.e. 2.5/100 = 0.025).
We need to have these weekly pays the same, so we equalize these expressions and solve the obtained equation by x:
185 + 0.03*x = 275 + 0.025*x
we switch free numbers to the right side and unknowns to the left side of equation:
3/100 * x - 25/1000 * x = 275 - 185
3/100 * x - 25/1000 * x = 90 /*1000 (multiply whole equation by a 1000, to loose fractions)
we get:
30*x - 25*x = 90000
5*x = 90000, divide whole equation by 5 (which means both sides of equation):
x = 90000/5
x = 18000 dollars
Value of x is 18 000 for which their weekly pay is the same.