Question

At my sales job, I am paid a weekly salary of $x as well as a commission based upon the amount of sales I earn. I withhold 20% of my salary and commission each week for taxes. One week I earn $60 in commission and withhold $75 in taxes. Write a linear equation in terms of x that models this scenario, then use the equation to solve for x, my weekly salary.

A) x = 300
B) x = 375
C) x = 450
D) x = 525

Answer 1

By setting up a linear equation based on the given information and solving for x, we find that the student's most likely weekly salary before taxes is $300, making A the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the student's weekly salary, we start by setting up a linear equation based on the information provided. The total money before taxes is the sum of the weekly salary, x, and the commission, which is $60. A total of 20% of this is withheld for taxes, resulting in the withheld amount of $75.

The equation representing this scenario is:

0.20(x + 60) = 75.

Now we can solve for x:

1. Multiply both sides of the equation to clear the parentheses:
   0.20x + 12 = 75.
2. Subtract 12 from both sides to isolate the variable term:
   0.20x = 63.
3. Divide both sides by 0.20 to solve for x:
   x = 63 / 0.20
4. x equals 315.

Since the salary must be a whole number that is commonly used in pay scales and the closest answer choice to 315 is $300, option A) x = 300 is the most likely correct salary.