Question

The total cost of a new​ automobile, including a 5​% sales tax on the price of the​ automobile, is $ 26,708. How much of the total cost pf this new automobile is sales tax

Answer 1

Let's say the price without tax of the car is "x", then you add 5% of "x" and it becomes $26,708.

now, if we take "x" to be the 100% of the price, and then adding a 5% of "x" will simply give us a 100 + 5 = 105%, and that's what 26,708 is, thus, 26,708 is the 105%, and if "x" is the 100%, what is "x" anyway?

$\bf \begin{array}{ccll} amount&\%\\ \text{\textemdash\textemdash\textemdash}&\text{\textemdash\textemdash\textemdash}\\ x&100\\ 26708&105 \end{array}\implies \cfrac{x}{26708}=\cfrac{100}{105}\implies x=\cfrac{26708\cdot 100}{105}$