Final answer:
To calculate the list price of the printer, we reverse the successive trade discounts of 12%, 8%, and 1%, resulting in an approximate list price of $300.23.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the list price of the printer after multiple trade discounts, we can think of the final price as being after successive reductions from the original list price. Each trade discount reduces the current price of the item by a certain percentage. So after a 12% discount, the price becomes 88% (100% - 12%) of the original, after an 8% discount it becomes 92% of the result after the first discount, and after a 1% discount it becomes 99% of the result after the second discount.
Let's denote the list price of the printer as P. The final price can be calculated as follows:
Final Price = P × (1 - 0.12) × (1 - 0.08) × (1 - 0.01)
Arissa paid $250.50, so:
$250.50 = P × 0.88 × 0.92 × 0.99
To find P, we divide $250.50 by the product of the percentages in decimal form:
P = $250.50 / (0.88 × 0.92 × 0.99)
P ≈ $300.23
Therefore, the list price of the printer, rounded to the nearest cent, is approximately $300.23.