Question

A savvy shopper combines a 25% off coupon with the store’s existing 25% off sale. Ignoring sales tax, how much of the base price should the shopper expect to pay?
a.
75%
b.
56.25%
c.
50%
d.
43.75%

Answer 1

To calculate the total discount when applying a 25% off coupon to an already existing 25% off sale, we can break it down step by step.

Let's assume the base price of the item is $100.

1. **First, apply the store's existing 25% off sale:**
- The discount amount = 25% of $100 = $25
- Price after first discount = $100 - $25 = $75

2. **Now, apply the 25% off coupon to the new price ($75):**
- The discount amount = 25% of $75 = $18.75
- Price after the second discount = $75 - $18.75 = $56.25

Now, to find out how much of the base price the shopper should expect to pay, we compare the final price to the original base price:

\[
\text{Final price} = 56.25
\]
\[
\text{Percentage of base price paid} = \left(\frac{56.25}{100}\right) \times 100\% = 56.25\%
\]

Thus, the shopper should expect to pay **56.25%** of the base price.

The answer is **b. 56.25%**.