Final answer:
To calculate the total bill, convert sales tax and tip percentages to decimals, multiply them by the meal cost to find their dollar amounts, and add them to the original cost. For a $47.50 meal, 6% tax adds $2.85, and an 18% tip adds $8.55, resulting in a total charge of $58.90.
Step-by-step explanation:
The task at hand involves calculating the total bill that includes both sales tax and a voluntary tip. First, to find the sales tax, we need to convert the percentage to a decimal by dividing it by 100. In this case, a 6% sales tax translates to 0.06. Multiplying this decimal by the meal cost, $47.50, will give us the tax amount. Next, we add the tax to $47.50 to get the subtotal.
For the tip, we apply the same decimal conversion to the 18% tip, resulting in 0.18. Multiplying this by the meal cost gives us the tip amount. Finally, we add the tip amount to the subtotal to find the total bill that will be charged to the credit card. This exercise is critical to ensure the server is adequately compensated for their good service when paying with a credit card.
To elaborate with a numerical example: If the meal cost is $47.50 and the tax is 6%, the tax amount would be $47.50 * 0.06 = $2.85. The new subtotal is $47.50 + $2.85 = $50.35. With an 18% tip on the original meal cost, the tip would be $47.50 * 0.18 = $8.55. The total charge, therefore, would be $50.35 + $8.55 = $58.90.