Dillard’s is having a one-day 35% off special. If Sara bought $124.50 worth of items, what would the final bill total after applying the discount of 35%?

Question

percent word problems (tax tip discount)

Answer 1

Whenever you're working with discounts, there's a few methods you can use.

METHOD A

First, you can go with the subtraction method. To do so, the first thing you need to find is what 35% of the total is so that you can subtract that from the total. Make sure to convert your percentage to decimal form by shifting the decimal place two places to the left:

Total: 124.50

35% of total: 124.50 * 0.35 = 43.575 or 43.58. (We round to the hundredths place since we're working with money. Parts of a penny are impossible to exchange).

Discounted total: 124.50 - 43.58 = 80.925 or 80.93

80.93 would be your answer.

METHOD B

The second method has to do with taking the inverse of our discount. The logic behind this is built on the idea that 100%-35% = 65%. Don't forget to convert to decimal form:

Total: 124.50

65% of the total: 124.50 * 0.65

Discounted total: 80.925 or 80.93

80.93 would be your answer.

Both methods are effective, however I prefer the second one since it's faster and has less steps.

Answer 2

Iris,

I am wondering if you are just getting thrown off by this problem do to the extra repeated information?

The first thing I would do with this and any word problem is ask myself the following? And here are a few hints to help guide you.

#1) Make a bulleted list of the key phrases/numbers in the word problem.

#2) Ask yourself the following. What is it exactly is the problem asking me to do?

a. Does my interpretation of this make since?

b. Are there any extra numbers/information that I do not need? And/or are there any statements and numbers that are repeated simply, and why? Are they simply a repeat of what has already been said? and/or they simply there to add clarification and/or summarize the problem like a final sentence would summarize a paragraph?

So, based on the tips/hints I listed above, Do you see how the first and last sentences pretty much are referring to the same thing? ...HINT: The 35% off?

Now if you see that, can you now finish the problem? Do you know how to take 35% off $124.50?

What does that give you?

OK now ask yourself, the following:

what does that number represent (your answer to the previous step)? Is that your final answer? Hint: Does it make since that it would be the final answer??

Hopefully you said NO!

Why??? HINT: because we still have to take that amount and subtract it from the original price of the item!

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need more specific hints:)

Answer 3

Final bill is $124.50 minus the discount.

Discount is 35% of $124.50 = 35/100 • (124.50)=43.575

Final bill is: $124.50-$43.575=$80.92