Final answer:
To find the original price of the clock before a 20% markdown that resulted in a sale price of R^96, calculate 100% of the price by dividing the sale price by 0.80, leading to an original price of R^120.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the original price of the clock before the markdown, you can treat the sale price as the result of applying a 20% discount to the original price. If the clock is now R96 after a 20% reduction, it means the current price represents 80% of the original price, since 100% - 20% = 80%. To find the original price (100%), you can set up the equation where 80% of the original price (OP) is equal to R96.
Let OP represent the original price.
0.80 × OP = R96
To isolate OP, divide both sides by 0.80:
OP = R96 / 0.80
OP = R120
Therefore, the original price of the clock was R120.