Q. Flexner marked the bench down $20 and sold it for 60 percent of the original price. What was the original price of the bench?
Define Original Price: Let's call the original price of the bench "x". The bench was marked down \$\(20\), so the new price is \(x - \$20\). This new price is also given as \(60\%\) of the original price, which is \(0.60 \times x\). So we have the equation \(0.60 \times x = x - \$20\).
Set Up Equation: Now we solve for \(x\). First, let's add \(\$20\) to both sides to get all the \(x\) terms on one side: \(0.60 \times x + \$20 = x\).
Add \(\$20\) to Both Sides: Next, we need to get all the \(x\) terms on one side and the numbers on the other. Subtract \(0.60 \times x\) from both sides: \(\$20 = x - 0.60 \times x\).
Subtract \(0.60 \times x\): Combine like terms on the right side: \(\$20 = 0.40 \times x\).
Combine Like Terms: Now, divide both sides by \(0.40\) to solve for \(x\): \(\$20 / 0.40 = x\).
Divide by \(0\).\(40\): Do the division: \(\$50 = x\). So the original price of the bench was \(\$50\).
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