SOLUTION: After reducing the regular selling price by one-sixth, a store sold a television for $725. What was the regular selling price?

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Question 1197848: After reducing the regular selling price by one-sixth, a store sold a television for $725. What was the
regular selling price?
Found 2 solutions by ikleyn, greenestamps:
Answer by ikleyn(52781) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

Let x be the original price.


The problem says  %285%2F6%29x = 725.


It implies  x = %286%2F5%29%2A725 = 6*145 = 870.


ANSWER.  The original selling price was $870.

Solved, with explanations.



Answer by greenestamps(13200) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


One informal solution method....

The price was reduced by one-sixth, so the $725 is five sixths of the original price.
ONE sixth is 1/5 of FIVE sixths; if five sixths of the original price was $725, then one sixth of the original price was 1/5 of $725, which is $725/5 = $145.
So the price was reduced by $145; therefore the original price was $725+$145 = $870.

And one of many formal algebraic methods....

Instead of working with the "one sixth" that is the amount of the price reduction, work with the "five sixths" of the original price that remains.

x = original price

5/6 of the original price is $725:

%285%2F6%29x=725

To solve for x, multiply both sides of the equation by the reciprocal, 6/5:

%286%2F5%29%285%2F6%29x=%286%2F5%29725
x=6%28725%2F5%29=6%28145%29=870

ANSWER: The original price was x = $870