6. Ben bought an item in a grocery store marked at $8, and the total bill with sales tax was $8.28. What was the sales tax rate?
Answer: C
The sales tax rate was 3.50%.
To find the sales tax rate, we can calculate it by determining the amount of sales tax paid and then dividing it by the original price of the item. In this case, the total sales tax paid is $8.28 - $8.00 = $0.28. Dividing $0.28 by $8.00 gives a sales tax rate of 0.035, or 3.50%.
A) 35%
This option is incorrect because a sales tax rate of 35% would result in a total cost of $10.80 for the item, calculated as $8.00 + ($8.00 * 0.35), which does not match the total bill of $8.28.
B) 7%
This option is also incorrect. A sales tax rate of 7% would lead to a total cost of $8.56, calculated as $8.00 + ($8.00 * 0.07), which exceeds the total bill of $8.28.
C) 3.50%
This is the correct option. The calculation shows that the sales tax paid was $0.28, and when divided by the original price of $8.00, the resulting sales tax rate is 0.035 or 3.50%, which accurately reflects the additional cost on the total bill.
D) 2.80%
This option is incorrect as well. A sales tax rate of 2.80% would result in a total cost of $8.22, computed as $8.00 + ($8.00 * 0.028), which is lower than the total bill of $8.28.
Conclusion
The correct answer is 3.50% because it accurately reflects the calculation of the sales tax based on the difference between the total bill and the original price of the item. All other options are incorrect as they produce total amounts that do not match the actual total bill of $8.28. This highlights the importance of precise calculations in determining sales tax rates.