SOLUTION: Alley bought 1 pound of potatoes costing $4 from a local grocery store last week. Her final bill included an additional sales tax of 8%. The next week Alley found that the price fo

Algebra ->  Inequalities -> SOLUTION: Alley bought 1 pound of potatoes costing $4 from a local grocery store last week. Her final bill included an additional sales tax of 8%. The next week Alley found that the price fo      Log On


   

Question 1186468: Alley bought 1 pound of potatoes costing $4 from a local grocery store last week. Her final bill included an additional sales tax of 8%. The next week Alley found that the price for a pound of potatoes had gone up to $6. What is the percentage increase in the cost of a pound of potatoes, including the sales tax?
Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, greenestamps:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39618) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
From 4*1.08 to 6*1.08;
from 4.32 to 6.48;

Percent Increase, %286.48-4.32%29%2A100%2F4.32 *

But the tax would have been the same rate.


*Half of 4 is 2;
4+2=6
50% increase of the cost.

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


The sales tax is a fixed percentage of the price, so the percentage increase of the potatoes including sales tax is the same as the percentage increase of the potatoes alone.

Simple mental arithmetic shows that the new price of $6 per pound is a 50% increase over the old price of $4 per pound.

ANSWER: 50%