Final answer:
To calculate the total amount paid for energy drinks with a sales tax of 8.5%, convert the percent to a decimal, multiply the decimal by the cost, and add the sales tax to the total cost.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the total amount of money a person will pay for energy drinks in a city with an 8.5% sales tax, you need to first find the amount of sales tax. To do this, convert the percent to a decimal by dividing it by 100, and then multiply the decimal by the total cost of the energy drinks. Finally, add the sales tax amount to the total cost to find the total amount paid.
For example, if the cost of the energy drinks is $10.00, the sales tax would be $10.00 * 0.085 = $0.85. Therefore, the total amount paid would be $10.00 + $0.85 = $10.85.