Mastering Percent Word Problems: Tax, Discounts, and Sales

Mr. Buffington presents a math lesson on percents, focusing on real-life applications such as taxes, discounts, and raises. He explains how to solve percent increase and decrease problems, providing examples and a shortcut for quicker calculations. The lesson includes a practice problem involving a discount and sales tax, demonstrating the steps to find the total cost. The shortcut involves calculating the net percent change directly, which can simplify the process and help check work.

What is the main topic of the lesson introduced by Mr. Buffington?

• Trigonometry

• Percents in real life

• Geometry problems

• Algebraic equations

If a computer's price is marked up by 12% from $1,150, what is the new price?

• $1,288

• $1,150

• $1,200

• $1,300

How do you convert a percentage to a decimal?

• Multiply by 100

• Divide by 100

• Add 100

• Subtract 100

If a t-shirt originally costs $25 and is discounted by 15%, what is the new price?

• $21.25

• $20.00

• $25.00

• $23.75

What is the first step in solving a percent decrease problem?

• Subtract the percentage from the original price

• Multiply the original price by 100

• Convert the percentage to a decimal

• Add the percentage to the original price

If a $15 calculator is on sale for 10% off and you pay 6% sales tax, what is the total cost?

• $15.00

• $16.00

• $14.31

• $13.50

What is the second step in solving the practice question involving a discount and sales tax?

• Subtract the discount from the original price

• Multiply the original price by the discount percentage

• Divide the discounted price by the sales tax percentage

• Add the sales tax to the discounted price

What is the shortcut for solving percent decrease problems?

• Divide the percentage by 100%

• Add the percentage to 100%

• Subtract the percentage from 100%

• Multiply the percentage by 100%

Using the shortcut, what is 88% of $3?

• $2.88

• $2.64

• $3.00

• $2.50

If a collector's item toy costs $210 and is now worth 28% more, what is its new value using the shortcut method?

• $268.68

• $268.80

• $210

• $240