Final answer:
The original price of an item that increased by 18% to a final price of $770.54 was $652.66.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the original price of an item after an 18% increase led to a final selling price of $770.54, we first consider that the final price represents 118% of the original price. To find 100% of the original price, we need to divide the final price by 1.18 (since 118% as a decimal is 1.18).
So, we calculate the original price as follows:
Original Price = Final Price / 1.18
Original Price = $770.54 / 1.18
Original Price = $652.66
Therefore, the original price of the item was $652.66.