We want to complete the given table by finding the sales tax. To do so, we will use the percent equation.
part = percent * whole
Now, let's take a look at the given table.
Selling Price
Tax Rate
Sales Tax
$39.98
4.5 %
Looking at the table, we can see that the selling price is $39.98 and the tax rate is 4.5 %. Let's draw a bar diagram to represent the problem. In the diagram, c will represent the sales tax.
Now we will apply the percent equation to the given situation. For simplicity, we can temporarily ignore the units.
part = percent * whole [0.4em] ↓ [0.4em]
c = 4.5 % * 39.98
We need to write the percent as a decimal before we can solve the equation that we got. To write a percent as a decimal, we will ignore the percent symbol and move the decimal point two places to the left.
Therefore, 4.5 % is equal to 0.045.
c = 4.5 % * 39.98 [0.4em] ↓ [0.4em]
c = 0.045 * 39.98
Finally, we will solve the equation for c.
