Problem of the Week
Problem
B
A
Taxing Question
Sales tax is added to the price of most items or services that you
purchase in Canada. The final price is calculated by finding the amount
of sales tax, and adding this amount to original price.
However, the percentage of sales tax is not the same in all
provinces.
The latest gaming console, the XStation PlayBox, sells for \(\$650\). What would be the final price for
this console in each of the provinces listed in the table below?
| Nova Scotia |
\(15\%\) |
|
| Ontario |
\(13\%\) |
|
| Saskatchewan |
\(11\%\) |
|
| Alberta |
\(5\%\) |
|
| British Columbia |
\(12\%\) |
|
Of the sales tax collected, \(5\%\) goes to the federal government, and
the rest goes to the province. How much sales tax would the federal and
provincial governments get for a console sale in Nova Scotia? What about
in Alberta?
Extension: Suppose that you live in
British Columbia, but only \(50\) km
from the nearest store in Alberta that sells the console. The price of
gas is \(\$1.50\) per litre, and your
car uses \(10\) L of gas per \(100\) km of driving. Is it cheaper to drive
to Alberta to buy the console instead of buying it in British
Columbia?
Theme: Number Sense
