After receiving a 25% discount, Sue paid $180 for a lawnmower. What is the original price of the lawnmower before the

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Source: Magoosh

After receiving a 25% discount, Sue paid $180 for a lawnmower. What is the original price of the lawnmower before the discount?

A. $215
B. $220
C. $225
D. $240
E. $245

The OA is D
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BTGmoderatorLU wrote:
Fri Jul 09, 2021 1:34 pm
Source: Magoosh

After receiving a 25% discount, Sue paid $180 for a lawnmower. What is the original price of the lawnmower before the discount?

A. $215
B. $220
C. $225
D. $240
E. $245

The OA is D
Let x = the original price (BEFORE the discount)

If Sue received a 25% discount, then she paid 75% of the original price.
In other words, she paid 75% of x
We're told she paid $180, so we can write: 75% of x = $180
Or we can write: 0.75x = 180

ASIDE: One approach here is to divide both sides by 0.75, but this can be a pain for many students.
Another option is to convert 0.75 to a fraction, and then go from there.
Here's what I mean.
We get: (3/4)x = 180
Multiply both sides by 4/3 to get: (4/3)(3/4)x = (4/3)180
Simplify: x = 240

Answer: D

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
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