Dawn Lingua bought three yards of cloth to make some curtains. The cloth was on sale for $2.25 per yard. How much did Dawn pay for the cloth if the sales tax was 5%? A. $7.25 B. $2.36 C. $7.09 D. $8.07
Dawn Lingua bought three yards of cloth to make some curtains. The cloth was on sale fo
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To determine how much Dawn Lingua paid for the cloth, we follow these steps:
Step 1: Calculate the cost before tax.
Dawn bought 3 yards of cloth at $2.25 per yard: Cost before tax=3×2.25=6.75\text{Cost before tax} = 3 \times 2.25 = 6.75
Step 2: Calculate the sales tax.
The sales tax is 5% of the cost before tax: Sales tax=6.75×0.05=0.3375≈0.34\text{Sales tax} = 6.75 \times 0.05 = 0.3375 \approx 0.34
Step 3: Add the sales tax to the cost.
Total cost=6.75+0.34=7.09\text{Total cost} = 6.75 + 0.34 = 7.09
Final Answer: C. $7.09
Detailed Explanation :
Dawn Lingua bought three yards of cloth at a discounted price of $2.25 per yard. To find the total amount she paid, including tax, we break the problem into manageable steps.
First, calculate the subtotal (the amount before tax). Since each yard costs $2.25, and she bought 3 yards, you multiply: 3×2.25=6.753 \times 2.25 = 6.75
So, the base cost for the cloth is $6.75.
Next, we consider the sales tax, which is 5%. A sales tax is an additional cost based on a percentage of the original price. To calculate 5% of $6.75, convert the percentage to a decimal by dividing by 100: 5%=0.055\% = 0.05
Then multiply: 6.75×0.05=0.33756.75 \times 0.05 = 0.3375
Rounding to the nearest cent (since dollars and cents are typically measured to two decimal places), we get: Sales tax≈0.34\text{Sales tax} \approx 0.34
Now, add the sales tax to the original cost to find the total amount Dawn paid: 6.75+0.34=7.096.75 + 0.34 = 7.09
Therefore, Dawn paid $7.09 in total, which includes both the cost of the cloth and the 5% sales tax. The correct answer from the provided options is C. $7.09.
This type of problem is a great example of how percentages are applied in real-life situations, especially in retail shopping where taxes are added to the cost of items.
