Final answer:
To find the sales tax on a $12 shirt at a rate of 9.5%, convert the rate to a decimal (0.095) and multiply by the price to get $1.14 in tax, making the total cost $13.14.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the sales tax on a $12 shirt with a tax rate of 9.5%, you first convert the percentage to a decimal by dividing by 100. So, 9.5% becomes 0.095. Then you multiply the cost of the item by this decimal to find the amount of sales tax.
Calculate the tax:
0.095 × $12 = $1.14.
Add the sales tax to the original price to find the total cost:
$12 + $1.14 = $13.14.
Therefore, the total cost of the shirt with tax is $13.14.