document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1152073>Question 1152073</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Darien ordered a soda for $2.75. a sandwich for $8.50, and  a desert for $3.85 Sales tax was $1.15. Use mental math to find the total amount  of the bill. Explain.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I Don't understand this question it gets me confused I don't know what to do with the numbers </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #774008 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><B>greenestamps(13200)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><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=greenestamps><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=774008\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Different people are going to do this in different ways.  The basic strategy is to look for ways that make the calculations easier.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Glancing quickly at the given amount, I immediately see one amount with 85 cents and another with 15 cents.  Those add up to a dollar, so I am going to use that \"shortcut\" somehow in my calculations.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "I might look just at the cents first, and then do the dollars separately.  That way I would have the 85 cents plus the 15 cents giving me a dollar; then the other cents, 50 and 75, give me another $1.25, so the total of the cents is $2.25.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Then I could add up the dollars to get 2+8+3+1 = 14; so the final total is $14+$2.25 = $16.25.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Being good with mental arithmetic, I wouldn't do the cents and dollars separately.  I would start with the $3.85 plus $1.15 giving me $5; then the other two added together give me $11.25, making the final total $16.25.<br><BR>\n" );
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