Salesman's profit
Let's look at a challenging multi-step problem:
A salesman bought a case of 48 backpacks for $576. He sold 17 of them for $18 each at the swap meet, and the rest were sold to a department store for $25 each. How much was the salesman's profit?
The answer is 505.
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Start by clarifying what you understand, and what you are being asked to solve.
48 is the total number of backpacks. $576 is the amount of money he spent. 17 is the total sold for $18 each. “The rest” means the number left after the 17 were sold. 48-17 = 31, so 31 is the total sold for $25 each. “How much was the salesman’s profit?” is the question being asked.
17 x $18 = $306 and 31 x $25 = $775. The total he earned was $306 + $775 = $1,081.
Since profit is money earned minus money spent, his profit is $1,081 - $576 = $505. The salesman’s profit was $505.