Final answer:
To determine the price of the MP^(3) player before tax, divide the total price by 1 plus the sales tax rate.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the price of the MP^(3) player before tax, we need to subtract the sales tax from the total price. In this case, Catherine paid $147.15 which includes a 9% sales tax. So, the equation to find the price before tax is:
Price before tax = Total price / (1 + Sales tax rate)
Substituting the values:
Price before tax = $147.15 / (1 + 0.09) = $135
Therefore, the price of the MP^(3) player before tax is $135.