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Ch. 2 - Functions and Graphs
Blitzer - College Algebra 8th Edition
Blitzer8th EditionCollege AlgebraISBN: 9780136970514Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 3, Problem 45

After a 30% price reduction, you purchase a 50″ 4K UHD TV for \$245. What was the television's price before the reduction?

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1
Let the original price of the television be represented by the variable \(P\).
Since the price was reduced by 30%, the sale price is 70% of the original price. This can be written as the equation: \(0.70 \times P = 245\).
To find the original price \(P\), divide both sides of the equation by 0.70: \(P = \frac{245}{0.70}\).
Simplify the right side of the equation to express \(P\) in terms of a numerical value (do not calculate the final number).
The result from the previous step will give you the original price of the television before the 30% reduction.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Percentage Decrease

A percentage decrease represents how much a quantity is reduced relative to its original amount, expressed as a percent. In this problem, a 30% price reduction means the new price is 70% of the original price, since 100% - 30% = 70%.
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Original Price Calculation

To find the original price before a percentage decrease, divide the reduced price by the remaining percentage (expressed as a decimal). Here, dividing $245 by 0.70 gives the original price before the 30% reduction.
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Decimal and Percentage Conversion

Percentages are often converted to decimals for calculations by dividing by 100. For example, 30% becomes 0.30, and 70% becomes 0.70. This conversion is essential for multiplying or dividing when solving percentage problems.
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