Pete bought a shirt on sale for $18, which is one-half the original price. What was the original price of the shirt?
- $9
- $36
- $27
- $54
Show answer and solution
Correct answer: B. $36
1. Let p stand for the original price, so 18 is one-half of p, which translates to 18 equals one-half times p.
2. Multiply both sides by 2 to undo the one-half: 2 times 18 equals p.
3. Simplify: p equals 36, so the original price was $36.
4. Check: half of $36 is $18, which matches the sale price.
_Source: OpenStax Prealgebra (CC BY 4.0), Ch 9 "Math Models and Geometry", section 9.1 Use a Problem Solving Strategy_