Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) Basic Math Placement Practice Test

How do you find the new price after applying a percentage off?

1. Multiply the original price by the percent

2. Subtract the percent directly from the old price

3. Subtract the percent from 100, convert to decimal, then multiply

4. Convert the price to a percent first

The correct answer is: Subtract the percent from 100, convert to decimal, then multiply

To find the new price after applying a percentage discount, the correct approach involves subtracting the percentage off from 100 to determine the percentage that remains, converting this remaining percentage into a decimal, and then multiplying it by the original price. When you apply a percentage discount to an original price, you first need to calculate the portion of the price that you will retain after this discount. By subtracting the discount percentage from 100, you obtain the percentage of the original price you will actually pay. Converting this remaining percentage to a decimal format is crucial because it allows you to perform the multiplication correctly with the original price. For example, if you have a 20% discount on an item priced at $50, you would subtract 20 from 100 to get 80. Then, converting 80% to a decimal gives you 0.80. Finally, multiplying the original price ($50) by 0.80 results in $40, which is the new price after applying the discount. This method ensures that you correctly calculate the new price after the discount is applied, while other options do not perform the necessary steps to reach the correct answer efficiently.