Final answer:
To find the original price of a vehicle discounted by 25.9%, divide the sale price by 74.1%. Applying this to the sale price of $36,557.60 leads to an original price of approximately $49,334.69.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves calculating the original price of a vehicle based on the discount provided at the end of the year. Given that the sale price of the car is $36,557.60 and this is 25.9% less than the original price, we can represent the sale price as 74.1% of the original price (since 100% - 25.9% = 74.1%). To find the original price, we need to divide the sale price by 74.1% (or 0.741 in decimal form).
To calculate the original price, the equation is set up as follows:
Original Price = Sale Price / 0.741
Substituting the values we have:
Original Price = $36,557.60 / 0.741
By performing the division:
Original Price = $49,334.69
This would be the original price of the car before the markdown. Therefore, the car was originally priced at approximately $49,334.69 before being marked down by 25.9% to make room for next year's models.
Rounding this value to the nearest cent would not change it since it is already expressing two decimal places.