SOLUTION: the total cost of a dress is $41.85, after applying the 8% sales tax. What is the cost of the dress before the sales tax? I know the answer is$38.75, but I don;t know how to find

Question 216577: the total cost of a dress is $41.85, after applying the 8% sales tax. What is the cost of the dress before the sales tax? I know the answer is$38.75, but I don;t know how to find out the answer. thank you!
Found 2 solutions by solver91311, drj:
Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Let represent the pre-tax price of the dress.

The total amount you pay is the pre-tax price plus the tax rate times the pre-tax price. So:

Just solve for

John

Answer by drj(1380) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The total cost of a dress is $41.85, after applying the 8% sales tax. What is the cost of the dress before the sales tax? I know the answer is$38.75, but I don;t know how to find out the answer. Thank you!

Step 1. 8% means 0.08 or 8%=0.08.

Step 2. Total cost of dress = cost of dress + tax

where tax=0.08*x where x is the cost of the dress

Step 3. Then after dividing by

Step 4. ANSWER: The cost of the dress is $38.75.

I hope the above steps were helpful.

For FREE Step-By-Step videos in Introduction to Algebra, please visit
http://www.FreedomUniversity.TV/courses/IntroAlgebra and for Trigonometry visit
http://www.FreedomUniversity.TV/courses/Trigonometry.

Good luck in your studies!

Respectfully,
Dr J
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