To determine the original bill \( b \), we can start by analyzing the information given.
- The dessert costs $12, which was removed from Stan's original bill \( b \).
- The reduced bill after removing the dessert becomes \( b - 12 \).
- Stan tipped the waiter 20% on the reduced bill, and this tip was $15.
Therefore, we can express the tip as: \[ 0.20(b - 12) = 15 \]
To solve for the original bill \( b \), we will rearrange the equation: \[ b - 12 = \frac{15}{0.20} \] Calculating \( \frac{15}{0.20} \) gives us: \[ b - 12 = 75 \] Then, we can solve for \( b \): \[ b = 75 + 12 \] \[ b = 87 \]
To write the equation in the format requested: \[ (87 - 12) = 75 \]
Thus, filling in the blanks: (87 - 12) = 75