Gina paid $35 for a new pocketbook.  She said that she saved more than 30% off the original price.  Write an inequality to express the possible original costs for the pocketbook.

click on the pocketbook to see the answer

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ANSWER

List the Facts (Spit it Back)!

• She paid $35

• She saved more than 30% (which means she paid less than 70% of the original value)

• Our inequality symbol should be < or > because a 30% savings is not part of the solution.  30% will be our "border"

• if she had saved exactly 30%, the price of teh pocket book would have been 70% of the original price

so...

let x = the original price

      35 < .70x  << divide both sides by .70 >>

      50 < x  or        x > 50

The original price was more than $50!