Kurt Alexander worked 40 hours last week. His pay rate is $8.50 per hour. Assuming 7.05% social security withholding, how much should her employer withhold from her check for social security?

3 Answers
Mar 3, 2018

$316.03

Explanation:

40*$8.50=$340
$340*0.9295=$316.03

Mar 3, 2018

$23.97

Explanation:

color(blue)("Very important fact")

Percentage is just a fraction. However it is a special fraction in that the bottom number (denominator) is always fixed at 100.

There are two ways of writing percentage and they both have exactly the same value

7.05/100 color(white)("d")-> color(red)(7.05) color(white)("d")color(green)(xx1/100)

7.05% -> color(red)(7.05)color(white)("dd")color(green)(%)

If they have the same value then it must mean that % is the same as xx1/100

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Answering the question")

Total pay for the week ->$8.50xx40

Note that 40 is the same as 2xx2xx10

$8.50xx2xx2xx10
$17xx2xx10
$34xx10
$340

Withheld sum is 7.05/100xx$340 = $23.97
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Check")

23.97/340 xx100= 7.05 larr" confirmed correct"

Mar 3, 2018

$23.97= 7.05% withheld for social security

Explanation:

$8.5 per hour

worked 40 hours

:.=40xx8.5=$340

:.100%=100/100

:.7.05%=7.05/100

:.340xx7.05%=340/1xx7.05/100=$23.97