Final answer:
The algebraic expression for the original price of an item less a 40% discount is 0.6p.
Step-by-step explanation:
The algebraic expression for an item's original price p less a discount of 40% can be written as
p - (0.4p) = 0.6p
Here, 'p' represents the original price of the item. When we subtract 40% of the original price from the original price, we get 60% of the original price. Therefore, the algebraic expression is 0.6p.