Minus' Solution to
Posted January 20 - 26, 1997
Minus' Solution to
If Martin pays for the year's subscription, he will pay $19.50, which is $2.16 more.
Martin looked carefully at the advertisement. He noticed the subscription includes his very own, (not-available-in-stores) miniature bronzed drill replica. Martin is now contemplating whether this item is worth the extra $2.16.
If Martin goes for the news-stand purchase, he will pay $3.50 - 0.25(3.50) = $2.63 + tax at the news-stand, for a total of $2.89 for each magazine. That will be $17.34.
Drake [sleeper@agt.net] solved the question a little different from Minus, but came up with pretty much the same answer and conclusion. (Drake rounded his final answer up.)
The better offer is for Martin to buy his magazine from the gas station. Because: at 3.50$ per issue times six issues, minus the 25% discount and adding the 10% tax the cost will be 17.33$.
Jonathan Goyena, of Jacksonville High School, knew that Martin would get a better deal buying an issue at a time. It looks like Jonathan used the same rounding system as Drake.
The answer to this week's Math Challenge is "The Newstand-Price" because the total price for that would be $17.33.
An anonymous individual at [brooklet@ix.netcom.com] left Minus this well-presented solution. This person's final answer differs from Minus' because he/she rounded the discount up and worked from there.
3.50 (.25) = 0.88
3.50 - 0.88 = 2.62
2.62 (.10) = 0.26
2.62 + 0.26 = 2.88
2.88 (6) = $17.28It would be $2.22 less if Martin did not renew his subscription and bought the magazines at the gas station.
Wheeler [wheeler@halcyon.com] used yet another rounding system to come up with this answer. Anyone know exactly how the stores calculate a discount? They must round up to gain that extra half cent, right?
It is better to buy the magazines at the gas station then from the subscription. it would cost only $17.32 instead of $19.50.
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