SEARCH HOME
 Math Central Quandaries & Queries
 Question from itzie: Okay, I've tried to make sense from some of the other questions and answers but I still don't see the answer that makes sense to me so here goes: I need an explanation on how $15.00 / .6 =$25 is a 40% and not as one would see it as a 60% mark up??? I don't get it.

Hi Itzie,

I am not sure of your numbers either but let me try to explain. A shopkeeper has a cost of $15.00 for an item and a selling price of$25.00 so the markup is $25.00 -$15.00 = $10.00. Now you want to express this markup as a percentage and the crucial question is, A percentage of what? • If the markup is expressed as a percentage of the storekeepers cost then its 10/15 × 100 = 66.6% • If the markup is expressed as a percentage of the selling price then its 10/25 × 100 = 40% In what you sent I am not sure what the$15.00 and \$25.00 are but I hope my explanation helps.
Penny

Math Central is supported by the University of Regina and The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences.