The cost of one meal before tax was $15.40.
To find the cost of one meal before tax, we need to first calculate the cost of all four meals after tax and then divide that amount by 4.
Step 1: Calculate the total cost after tax
The total cost of all four meals, including the 8% sales tax, is $66.96. To find the cost before tax, we need to remove the tax amount.
8% of the total cost can be calculated by multiplying the total cost by 8% (0.08). So, the tax amount is:
$66.96 * 0.08 = $5.36
Now, let's subtract the tax amount from the total cost to find the cost of all four meals before tax:
$66.96 - $5.36 = $61.60
Step 2: Calculate the cost of one meal before tax
To find the cost of one meal before tax, we divide the cost of all four meals before tax by 4 (since there are four friends and they each paid the same amount):
$61.60 / 4 = $15.40