16Hit1600
AlgebraVery hardOriginal price after a cut and a rise

Algebra practice question

A jacket's price was reduced by 20%, and the reduced price was then increased by 10%, giving a final price of $88. What was the original price, in dollars?

Answer: 100

0.8p × 1.1 = 0.88p = 88, so p = 100.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 80
80 is 88 ÷ 1.1, the price after the cut but before the rise.
If you answered 110
110 undoes the 20% cut with a 10% rise, which is not the inverse.
If you answered 97.78
97.78 divides 88 by 0.9, treating the two changes as a single 10% cut.

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