Final answer:
To find 8.25% of what number equals $7.26, set up a proportion. By converting the percentage to a decimal and isolating the unknown number, we find that the answer is 88. The correct answer is option a).
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the problem "8.25% of what number is $7.26?", we need to set up a proportion where 8.25% is the part, $7.26 is the whole, and we are solving for the base (100%). Let 'x' represent the unknown number we are trying to find.
The proportion can be set up as follows: 8.25% / 100% = $7.26 / x. Convert 8.25% to a decimal by dividing by 100, which gives 0.0825. Now, we have: 0.0825 = $7.26 / x. Multiply both sides by 'x' and divide by 0.0825 to isolate 'x': x = $7.26 / 0.0825.
Perform the division: x = $88.00 (rounded to the nearest dollar). Therefore, 8.25% of 88 is $7.26, which means the answer to the problem is a) 88.