Final answer:
To stay within a $30 budget including 6.5% sales tax for a pair of jeans, one must determine the maximum pre-tax price by dividing the total by 1.065. The result is $28.17, which is the maximum price of the jeans before sales tax to avoid exceeding the budget.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the maximum price of jeans you can buy without exceeding a total of $30 after including a 6.5% sales tax, you would follow these steps:
- Convert the sales tax percentage to decimal form by dividing by 100 (6.5% becomes 0.065).
- Let the price of the jeans before tax be represented by x.
- Calculate the total cost of the jeans, including tax, with the equation x + (x × 0.065) = $30.
- Rearrange the equation to solve for x: x × (1 + 0.065) = $30, which simplifies to x × 1.065 = $30.
- Divide both sides by 1.065 to find x: x = $30 / 1.065.
- Calculate x to find the maximum price before tax: x = $28.17 (rounded to the nearest penny).
Therefore, the maximum price of the jeans before tax is $28.17, which is answer option A.