Final answer:
The total percentage profit earned by the man on selling the three articles at 15% profit, 12% profit, and 15% loss is 4%. This was calculated by first determining the selling price for each article and then comparing the total selling price to the total cost price to find the net profit.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the total percentage profit/loss, we must figure out the net profit or loss after selling all three articles. Let's calculate the selling price for each article based on the given profit or loss percentage.
For the first article, at a 15% profit, the selling price would be: Rs 6,000 + (15/100 × Rs 6,000) = Rs 6,900.
For the second article, at a 12% profit, the selling price would be: Rs 6,000 + (12/100 × Rs 6,000) = Rs 6,720.
For the third article, at a 15% loss, the selling price would be: Rs 6,000 - (15/100 × Rs 6,000) = Rs 5,100.
The total selling price for all three articles is: Rs 6,900 + Rs 6,720 + Rs 5,100 = Rs 18,720.
The total cost price of the three articles is: Rs 6,000 × 3 = Rs 18,000.
The net profit or loss is the difference between the total selling price and the total cost price, which is Rs 18,720 - Rs 18,000 = Rs 720. So the total profit earned is Rs 720.
To find the total percentage profit/loss, we divide the net profit by the total cost price and multiply by 100:
Total percentage profit = (Net profit / Total cost price) × 100
Total percentage profit = (Rs 720 / Rs 18,000) × 100 = 4%
Therefore, the total percentage profit earned by the man is 4%.