Question

A horse worth $900 is sold by A to B at 10% loss and B sells the horse back to A at 10% profit, then the result is---
A.A loss $9
B.B loss $9
C.neither loss nor gain
D.none

The answer in the book in the answer key is (a) but I keep getting 171 as the loss of A. Some of my friends say that it is the option (b). I am totally confused now.
If anybody could help...

Answer 1

900 * 0.9 * 1.1 = 891

so, a loss of $9

Answer 2

A has the horse at $900.
A sells the horse to B at 10% loss so 900 x 0.1 = 90 and 900-90 = $810.

Now B sells the horse with a 10% profit or 810 x 0.1 = 81 and 81 + 810 = $891.

The loss to A is 900-891 - 9.00.
I don't know how you come up with $171. Are you converting the percent to decimal first.

Answer 3

I hit the - key instead of the = key. That line should be
The loss to A is 900-891 = 9.00.

Answer 4

What I think I am doing wrong is
1st case--
A sells it to B at 10%loss i.e. at 810
Now he has lost 90$ here

2nd case
B sells the horse worth $810 at 10% profit i.e around $891
So A has lost almost $81 here as well.
So, how could A have lost just $9???

Answer 5

The initial CP of the horse (for A) is $900
And he buys it next time at $891. How has he lost $9 here?

Answer 6

A has a horse worth $900 initially.
When A goes through the various transactions he ends up with the same horse now worth 891. $900-891 = 9.00

I see how you came up with $171. You're confusing loss and gain with the worth of the horse. You're mixing apples and oranges.
Focus on the worth. The horse was worth $900 to start and $891 at the end and that difference is $9.00. By the way, on the 2nd case, A didn't lose $81.00. B made a profit of $81.00. He should be in the horse trading business.