document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=419224>Question 419224</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Don, an office equipment sales representative, earns a weekly salary plus a commission on his sales.  On week his total comensation( weekly salary +commission amount) on sales of $4000was $660.  The next week his total compensation on sales of $6000 was $740.  Find Don's weekly salary and his commission rate. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #293234 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=duckness73><B>duckness73(47)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-07.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=duckness73><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/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=duckness73><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=293234\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Let s = Don's salary<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Let p = Don's commission rate\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Note that the dollar amount of Don's commission is a percent of the sales, so Don's dollar commission on sales of $4000 is 4000p and Don's dollar commission on sales of $6000 is 6000p.  His salary is fixed, no matter how much he sells.  So, using his compensation totals for the two weeks, we have:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "In week 1:  s + 4000p = 600<BR>\n" );
document.write( "In week 2:  s + 6000p = 740\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Solving these two simultaneous equations, we have equation 1:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "s = 600 - 4000p\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Substituting into equations 2, we have\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "600 - 4000p + 6000p = 740<BR>\n" );
document.write( "600 + 2000p = 740   (combining like terms)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2000p = 140   (subtracting 600 from both sides)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "p = 0.07  (dividing both sides by 2000)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "This means that Don's commission is 0.07 of sales, or 7%.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "In figuring up Don's weekly salary, we can use either of the two equations, say equation 1:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "s + 4000p = 600   (equation 1)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "s + 4000(0.07) = 600  (substituting value for variable p)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "s + 280 = 600   (simplifying the term)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "s = 320   (subtracting 280 from both sides)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "This Don's weekly salary is $320 and his commission rate is 7%\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );