Find the total cost of the child's car seat if its sale price is $249.50 and its sales tax rate is 7.2%

(1) 267.46

Explanation

First, we will find the sales tax on the child's car seat.  Then we can add the purchase price and the sales tax to find the total of the car seat.  The sales tax rate is 7.2% and the purchase price is $249.50.

This is the sales tax formula

Sales tax = sales tax rate • purchase price

Substitute 7.2% for the sales tax rate and $249.50 for the purchase price

Sales tax = 7.2% • $249.50

Write 7.2% as a decimal: 7.2% = 0.072

= 0.072 • $249.50

Do the multiplication

= $17.964

Prepare to round the sales tax to the nearest cent (hundredth) by identifying the rounding digit and the test digit.  The test digit is 4 and the rounding digit in the hundredths column is 6.  Since the test digit is less than 5, round down.

≈ 17.96

Thus, the sales tax on the 249.50 USD purchase is 17.96 USD. The total cost of the car seat is the sum of its purchase price and the sales tax.

Sales tax = sales tax rate • purchase price

Substitute 249.50 USD for the purchase price and 17.96 USD for the sales tax.

= 249.50 + 17.96

Do the addition.

= $267.46

There are many other taxes that we pay in our daily lives.  Income tax, gasoline tax, and Social Security tax are just a few.  You can use an approach like that to find the total deductions from your money.