there is a sales tax of $21 on an item that costs $217 before tax. a second item costs $93 before tax. what…

there is a sales tax of $21 on an item that costs $217 before tax. a second item costs $93 before tax. what is the sales tax on the second item?

there is a sales tax of $21 on an item that costs $217 before tax. a second item costs $93 before tax. what is the sales tax on the second item?

Answer

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate the tax - rate

Let the tax - rate be $r$. We know that $r=\frac{\text{Tax amount}}{\text{Cost before tax}}$. For the first item, the tax amount is $21$ and the cost before tax is $217$. So $r = \frac{21}{217}=\frac{3}{31}$.

Step2: Calculate the sales tax on the second item

The cost of the second item before tax is $93$. The sales tax $T$ on the second item is given by $T = r\times\text{Cost before tax}$. Substitute $r=\frac{3}{31}$ and the cost before tax $= 93$ into the formula: $T=\frac{3}{31}\times93$. Since $93\div31 = 3$, then $T = 3\times3=9$.

Answer:

$9$