Basic Mathematics for College Students

Chapter 6 Summary and Review 579

There are two methods that can be used to find
the unknown sales tax rate:

• The percent equation method


• The percent proportion method

 



Instead of working for a salary or getting paid
at an hourly rate, many salespeople are paid on
commission.

The amount of commissionpaid is a percent of
the total dollar sales of goods or services.

Commissioncommission ratesales

COMMISSIONS A salesperson earns an 11% commission on all

appliances that she sells. If she sells a $450 dishwasher, what is her

commission?

Write 11% as a decimal.

Do the multiplication.

The commission earned on the sale of the $450 dishwasher is $49.50.

$49.50

0.11$450

 11% $450

Commissioncommission rate sales







The percent equation method:

is of

5.33  x  82 Translate.

Now, solve the percent equation.

To isolate xon the right side of the equation, divide

both sides by 82.

On the right side of the equation, remove the

common factor of 82 from the numerator and

denominator. On the left side, divide 5.33 by 82.

Write the decimal 0.065 as a percent.

The sales tax rate is 6.5%.

The percent proportion method:

is of

This is the percent

proportion to solve.

To solve the proportion, find the cross products

and set them equal.

Do the multiplication on the left side of the

equation.

To isolate xon the right side, divide both sides

of the equation by 82. Then remove the common

factor of 82 from the numerator and denominator.

On the left side, divide 533 by 82.

The sales tax rate is 6.5%.

6.5x

533

82



82

1

x

82

1

533  82 x

5.33 100  82 x

5.33

82



x

100

amount percent base

5.33 what percent 82?

6.5%x

006.5%x

0.065x

0.065

x 82

1

82

1

5.33

82



x 82

82

$5.33 what percent 82?

The commission rateis usually expressed as a
percent.

TELEMARKETING A telemarketer made a commission of $600 in

one week on sales of $4,000. What is his commission rate?

Let xrepresent the

unknown commission

rate.

We can drop the dollar signs. To isolate xon

the right side of the equation, divide both

sides by 4,000.

600

4,000



x4,000

4,000

$600  x  $4,000

Commissioncommission rate  sales