Juan bought a basketball for 40% off. If he paid $36 for it, what was the original price?

Answer 1

Let the original price of the basketball be \( P \). According to the problem, Juan received a 40% discount on the original price, which means he paid 60% of the original price.

The equation for the amount Juan paid can be set up as follows:

\[ 0.6P = 36 \]

To find the original price \( P \), divide both sides of the equation by 0.6:

\[ P = \frac{36}{0.6} \]

Calculating the right side:

\[ P = 60 \]

Therefore, the original price of the basketball was \( \boxed{60} \).