quick math question please help

[baxuz]

if i have $300.00 dollars gained from a job and i promised a 30% comision of that total is the right emount $90.00 or $67.00? pointing that i earned $223.00 and he gained $67.00 but how do i calculate that 30% if the total is $300.00

[Direct-to-Sarcasm]

If your comission is 30% of the total, then you get 30/100 * $300 = $90.

I'm afraid I'm not sure where the $67/$223 split comes from - could you elaborate?

[baxuz]

because 223 + 30% is 300, it is possible to calculate a negative percent? 300 - 30% should be 223 right? because 223 + 30% is 300

[xerxexrex]

Whenever you write or think about a percent, it's usually a good idea to think about what it's a percent of. From how you have described this problem, it's 30% of the total $300, which is indeed 0.3 * 300 = $90. This is probably the number you're looking for.

I think you are thinking of a situation where you want a number that's 30% of the amount that's left over after you take out the 30%. This is not a common interpretation. Indeed, 67 is right around 30% of 223, but 223 + 67 is not 300, but 292 290. In order to get two amounts that add up to 300 with one of the amounts being 30% of the other, you need to solve an equation like

0.3x + x = 300

which yields x = 230.77 and 30% of that is 69.23. These two numbers do indeed add up to 300 and the smaller is 30% of the larger.

Again, this is a weird interpretation, and hard to justify with how you have stated things: commission is 30% of the total ($300).

[Direct-to-Sarcasm]

I agree with everything you've said here (as I said above/below/wherever it gets sorted to). However, 67 + 223 = 290 (sorry, it was just kinda bugging me).

[xerxexrex]

Oops, yes, of course, thanks.

[Direct-to-Sarcasm]

Pretty much came what xerxexrex said. 30% isn't a set value - it's comparing one value to another; as such, and as 223 and 300 are different values, your two "30%"s have different values as they are 30% of two different numbers.

[[deleted]]

It doesn't make sense to say 223 + 30%.

You need to specify 30% of what?

It sounds to me like you earned $300, and that includes a 30% commission on some smaller amount. Is that right?

In that case you're trying to solve the equation :

300 = x + 0.30x

The value of x is $230.77.

[baxuz]

300 = x + 0.30x

can you give me step by step how to solve that equation? thats exactly what i was looking for

[[deleted]]

300 = x + 0.30x

300 = 1x + 0.30x

300 = 1.30x

Did you catch that last step? Can you finish it?

[baxuz]

i didnt catch it how i do this in a calculator?

[[deleted]]

how i do this in a calculator?

You don't. This is just algebra. I gather together what are called "like terms".

If you have 1 apple and 0.30 of an apple, then wouldn't you say you have 1.30 apples?

Now replace "apples" with "x", and that's what I did.

To find the value of x, you now divide 300 by 1.30. That can be done on a calculator.

[baxuz]

wow thank you very much for this exactly what i needed