Question 7 • NC-Foundations of Math 1 (Fall) [1st 9 Weeks]
At the corner store, Nico bought 5 pencils for $0.10 each and 3 pens for $0.50 each. He used t to represent the sales tax, in dollars, that he also paid. He paid a total of $2.12, including tax. Nico wrote this equation to represent what he paid. What errors, if any, did he make?5(0.10) + 3(0.50) - t = 2.12
Answer
A
He should have multiplied 0.10 by 3 instead of 5.
B
He should have multiplied 0.50 by 5 instead of 3.
C
He should have added t instead of subtracting t.
D
He should have multiplied by t instead of subtracting t.
Explanation
The pencils cost 5 × $0.10 = $0.50, and the pens cost 3 × $0.50 = $1.50. Since Nico’s $2.12 total includes the sales tax, the tax must be added to those item costs: 5(0.10) + 3(0.50) + t = 2.12. So he should have added t instead of subtracting it; the correct choice is C.
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