Question

Kurt Alexander worked 40 hours last week. His pay rate is $8.50 per hour. Assuming 7.05% social security withholding, how much should her employer withhold from her check for social security?

Answer 1

`$316.03`

Explanation:

`40*$8.50=$340`
`$340*0.9295=$316.03`

Answer 2

`$23.97`

Explanation:

`color(blue)("Very important fact")`

Percentage is just a fraction. However it is a special fraction in that the bottom number (denominator) is always fixed at 100.

There are two ways of writing percentage and they both have exactly the same value

`7.05/100 color(white)("d")-> color(red)(7.05) color(white)("d")color(green)(xx1/100)`

`7.05% -> color(red)(7.05)color(white)("dd")color(green)(%)`

If they have the same value then it must mean that `%` is the same as `xx1/100`

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
`color(blue)("Answering the question")`

Total pay for the week `->$8.50xx40`

Note that 40 is the same as `2xx2xx10`

`$8.50xx2xx2xx10`
`$17xx2xx10`
`$34xx10`
`$340`

Withheld sum is `7.05/100xx$340 = $23.97`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
`color(blue)("Check")`

`23.97/340 xx100= 7.05 larr" confirmed correct"`

Answer 3

`$23.97= 7.05%` withheld for social security

Explanation:

`$8.5` per hour

worked `40` hours

`:.=40xx8.5=$340`

`:.100%=100/100`

`:.7.05%=7.05/100`

`:.340xx7.05%=340/1xx7.05/100=$23.97`