Math Question

[The Hammer]

@Polymath257

Or anyone else that is better at math then I am.

I just sold a rooster at auction and was given $1.50 for him.

The auction house took a 40% cut of the profit from the sale, and I was left with the 1.50.

I am trying to figure out what the total sale was originally.

My first thought is 1.5+(.4x)= x
Am I approaching this right?

 

[The Hammer]

Assuming that it's not a trick question (e.g., no third category like taxes) what I hear is ...

• 40% of the sale went to the auction house
• 60% went to you
• you received $1.50 therefore
• 60%X = $1.50
• 0.6X = $1.50
• X = 1.5 / .6
• X = $2.50

Thank you. So how would I assemble that as an actual number problem?

 

[Secret Chief]

I do not understand your question/

As an equation?

 

[The Hammer]

@The Hammer
@Secret Chief

if you cannot find an equation in post #2 then I really can't help you.​

Well thanks for the attempt

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Well thanks for the attempt

fixed

 

[Revoltingest]

The easiest way to deal with "story problems"
is to represent them directly as equations.
X = Sale price
We know....
(Sale price) - 40% of (Sale price) = $1.50
X - .4X = $1.50
X(1-.4) = $1,50
.6X = $1.50
X = $1.50/.6
X = $2.50

Tis good to be right.
Tis best to have an easily understood method to be right.

 

[crossfire]

You got 60%, Auction got 40%

$1.50 is 60% of x

is/of=%/100

1.50/x =60/100

cross multiply (the numerator of the first times the denominator of the second = the denominator of the first times the numerator of the second)
1.50 * 100 = 60x
150/60 = x
2.50 = x

 

[Stonetree]

The easiest way to deal with "story problems"
is to represent them directly as equations.
X = Sale price
We know....
(Sale price) - .4 x (Sale price = $1.50
X - .4X = $1.50
X(1-.4) = $1,50
.6X = $1.50
X = $1.50/.6
X = $2.50

Tis good to be right.
Tis best to have an easily understood method to be right.

How much does a Rooster egg cost.?

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

How much does a Rooster egg cost.?

it's either undefined, or infinite...I can't figure out which...

 

[Eddi]

@Polymath257

Or anyone else that is better at math then I am.

I just sold a rooster at auction and was given $1.50 for him.

The auction house took a 40% cut of the profit from the sale, and I was left with the 1.50.

I am trying to figure out what the total sale was originally.

My first thought is 1.5+(.4x)= x
Am I approaching this right?

I'm no mathematicisn but here is my attempt:

1.50 divided by 60

Times 100

So $2.50??????

 

[crossfire]

Thank you. So how would I assemble that as an actual number problem?

the easy formula to remember is this:

"is over of equals percent over 100"
cross multiply and solve for x

 

[Eddi]

Wow, everyone else has given the same answer as me!!!!

Looks as though I was right

I can't quite believe it I feel so clever

 

[ratiocinator]

it's either undefined, or infinite...I can't figure out which...

You forgot 0, 1, -1, or π.

More pedantically, is "profit from the sale" really the same as "total sale"? The "profit" suggests that some (unknown) cost or something was involved. Woolly language doesn't help in formulating maths problems....

 

[Revoltingest]

How much does a Rooster egg cost.?

Same price as hen's teeth.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Wow, everyone else has given the same answer as me!!!!

Looks as though I was right

I can't quite believe it I feel so clever

I wasn't anywhere near brave enough to submit my answer...looks like I was right!

 

[The Hammer]

The easiest way to deal with "story problems"
is to represent them directly as equations.
X = Sale price
We know....
(Sale price) - .4 x (Sale price = $1.50
X - .4X = $1.50
X(1-.4) = $1,50
.6X = $1.50
X = $1.50/.6
X = $2.50

Tis good to be right.
Tis best to have an easily understood method to be right.

That's what I was looking for! Thanks.

 

[Stonetree]

Wow, everyone else has given the same answer as me!!!!

Looks as though I was right

I can't quite believe it I feel so clever

You did well in math...However, the staff is issuing a warning for overuse of exclamation points.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

You forgot 0, 1, -1, or π.

More pedantically, is "profit from the sale" really the same as "total sale"? The "profit" suggests that some (unknown) cost or something was involved. Woolly language doesn't help in formulating maths problems....

I'll have the pie...

 

[Eddi]

You did well in math...However, the staff is issuing a warning for overuse of exclamation points.

I earnt those exclamation points by doing maths!!!!!

Exclamation points are my right!!!!!!

 

[LuisDantas]

There are three values involved.

The amount you received, the sale price (which is greater than what you received to account for the auction house's cut), and the percentage that describes that cut.

Respectively, $1.50, an initially unknown value, and 40%.

We want to find out the value of the sale price. Let's call it "SP".

We also know that:

SP - 1.50 = 40% of SP

Therefore,

SP - 1.50 = 0.4 SP

Let's change the signs of "1.50" and "0.4 SP" in order to move them across the equality sign while still keeping the statement valid.

SP - 0.4 SP = 1.50

Therefore

0.6 SP = 1.50

Multiply both sides by 5/3:

SP = 2.50