Question

A man sold two mobile phones at 4,500 each. He sold one at a loss of 15% and the other at a gain of 15%. His loss or gain is........

• A. 15% gain
• B. 15% loss
• C. 2.25% gain
• D. 2.25% loss

Answer 1

Answer:

D. 2.25% loss

When an object is sold at the same Selling Price ($SP$), one at a gain of $x\%$ and the other at a loss of $x\%$, there is always a total loss.

The shortcut formula to find the overall loss percentage is:

$\text{Loss } \% =( \frac{x}{10} )^2$

Here, $x = 15$.

$\text{Loss } \% =( \frac{15}{10})^2$

$\text{Loss } \% = (1.5)^2$

$\text{Loss } \% = 2.25\%$