A plant nursery is having a sale. Potted begonias are marked down 27%, and tomato seedlings are marked down 35%. If you pay $6.57 each for two potted begonias and $2.60 each for three tomato seedlings, how much did you save? a. $3.83 b. $5.31 c. $6.92 d. $9.06 Please select the best answer from the choices provided A B C D

To calculate how much you saved, you need to determine the original prices before the discounts were applied.

First, let's calculate the original price of one potted begonia before the 27% markdown:

If the sale price of one potted begonia is $6.57 after a 27% discount, it means the sale price is 73% of the original price (100% - 27% = 73%).

So, if 73% of the original price equals $6.57, we can set up the following equation to find the original price (which we'll call x):

0.73x = $6.57

To find x, divide both sides by 0.73:

x = $6.57 / 0.73 x = $9

This means that the original price of one potted begonia was $9.

Now, calculate the savings on one potted begonia by subtracting the sale price from the original price:

Savings per begonia = $9 - $6.57 Savings per begonia = $2.43

Since you bought two potted begonias, the total savings for begonias is:

Total savings for begonias = 2 * $2.43 Total savings for begonias = $4.86

Next, let's calculate the original price of one tomato seedling before the 35% markdown:

If the sale price of one tomato seedling is $2.60 after a 35% discount, it means the sale price is 65% of the original price (100% - 35% = 65%).

So, if 65% of the original price equals $2.60, set up the following equation to find the original price (we'll call this y):

0.65y = $2.60

To find y, divide both sides by 0.65:

y = $2.60 / 0.65 y = $4

This means that the original price of one tomato seedling was $4.

Now, calculate the savings on one tomato seedling by subtracting the sale price from the original price:

Savings per seedling = $4 - $2.60 Savings per seedling = $1.40

Since you bought three tomato seedlings, the total savings for tomato seedlings are:

Total savings for seedlings = 3 * $1.40 Total savings for seedlings = $4.20

Now, add the total savings for begonias and tomato seedlings to find the total savings:

Total savings = Total savings for begonias + Total savings for seedlings Total savings = $4.86 + $4.20 Total savings = $9.06

Therefore, the total amount saved is $9.06, which corresponds to answer choice D.

Extra: Discounts are a popular way for stores to encourage customers to buy products. The discount percentage tells you by what percentage the original price is reduced. To find the sale price, you typically subtract the discount from the full price or you can calculate what percentage of the price you actually pay and then find the corresponding amount. For instance, a 35% discount means you pay 65% of the original price (100% - 35% = 65%). Multiplying the original price by this remaining percentage gives you the sale price. When combining discounts over multiple items, you simply sum up the savings on each individually. It's important for students to understand percentages and how to calculate them, as they are commonly used in financial literacy and consumer mathematics.