A mail order company charges 4 1/2% for shipping and handling on all orders. If the total for an order is $54.34, how much was the order total before shipping and handling?

Answer: the order total before shipping and handling was $52

Step-by-step explanation:

Let x represent the total cost of the order before shipping and handling.

The mail order company charges 4 1/2% for shipping and handling on all orders. This means that the amount that the company would charge for an order worth $x is

4.5/100 * x = 0.045 * x = 0.045x

The total cost of the order would be

x + 0.045x = 1.045x

If the total for an order is $54.34, it means that

1.045x = 54.34

x = 54.34/1.045

x = $52