document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=396153>Question 396153</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> the cost of the item is $56 after a 20% discount....what is original price?<BR>\n" );
document.write( "how do you get the answer? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #281093 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=281093\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Unfortunately the first answer is incorrect. Why? Because a 20% discount subtracts 20% of the original price from the original price. It's not simply 20% of the original price. This is a common pitfall with these types of problems.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Let x = original price.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Since \"the cost of the item is $56 after a 20% discount\", this means that <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x-0.2x=56 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x-0.2x=56\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >. Basically, the original price is x and 20% of this price is 0.2x. Subtract 0.2x from x to get the discount price of <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x-0.2x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x-0.2x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and set this equal to the known discount price of 56\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x-0.2x=56 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x-0.2x=56\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the given equation.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=0.8x=56 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"0.8x=56\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Subtract\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=56%2F0.8 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=56%2F0.8\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Divide both sides by 0.8 to isolate x.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=70 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=70\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Divide.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the original price is 70 dollars.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Check: \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Notice that 20% of 70 dollars is 0.2*70 = 14 dollars\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So subtract 14 dollars from 70 dollars to get: 70 - 14 = 56\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So this confirms our answer. </SPAN>\n" );
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