Final answer:
To find the price Ram paid to buy the pen, one must work backward from the price Roshan paid and account for both the loss and profit percentages. By doing so, it was determined that Ram paid Rs. 64 for the pen.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main answer to the question of how much Ram paid to buy the pen is derived through a series of calculations starting from the final amount paid by Roshan and working backward to determine the original cost. Since Roshan paid Rs. 72 to Kamala for the pen, which was at a 10% loss, we can deduce the price at which Kamala bought the pen before incurring the loss.The amount Roshan paid (Rs. 72) represents 90% of the price that Kamala paid, because 100% - 10% loss = 90%. Hence, we can set up the following equation: 0.9 × (Price Kamala bought it for) = Rs. 72. Solving the equation gives us the price Kamala paid which is Rs. 72 / 0.9 = Rs. 80.Now, knowing that Kamala sold the pen to Roshan at a loss and originally purchased it from Ram at a 25% profit, we deduce that Ram's selling price was Kamala's cost price. To find Ram's purchase price, we calculate it as 125% of Ram's cost. Therefore, setting up an equation 1.25 × (Ram's original purchase price) = Rs. 80, we get Ram's purchase price which is Rs. 80 / 1.25 = Rs. 64.In conclusion, Ram paid Rs. 64 to buy the pen, which corresponds to option c) Rs. 64.