Let's break down Lindsay's purchase into the steps you've requested:
Step 1: Getting the cost of the three shirts before tax
Lindsay bought 3 shirts priced at $15 each. To calculate the total cost of the shirts before tax:
\[ \text{Cost of three shirts} = \text{Number of shirts} \times \text{Cost per shirt} \] \[ \text{Cost of three shirts} = 3 \times 15 = 45 \]
Step 2: Calculating the amount of sales tax (in dollars)
The sales tax in Indiana is 7%. To find the amount of sales tax, we first need to calculate the total sales tax on the $45 of shirts:
\[ \text{Sales tax} = \text{Total cost before tax} \times \text{Sales tax rate} \] \[ \text{Sales tax} = 45 \times 0.07 = 3.15 \]
Step 3: Getting the total cost of all three shirts including tax
To find the total cost, we add the total cost of the shirts before tax and the sales tax:
\[ \text{Total cost including tax} = \text{Total cost before tax} + \text{Sales tax} \] \[ \text{Total cost including tax} = 45 + 3.15 = 48.15 \]
Summary of the total cost:
Lindsay's total cost for the three shirts, including tax, is $48.15.