A man bought 5 reams of duplicating paper, each of which are supposed to contain 480 sheets. The actual number of sheets in the packets were : 435, 420, 405, 415 and 440.
(a) Calculate, correct to the nearest whole number, the percentage error for the packets of paper;
(b) If the agreed price for a full ream was N35.00, find, correct to the nearest naira, the amount by which the buyer was cheated.
Explanation
(a) Sheets expected from 5 packets = (480 times 5 = 2400)
Actual sheet contained in the packets = (435 + 420 + 405 + 415 + 440 = 2115)
Error in supply = 2400 – 2115 = 285 sheets.
(therefore) Percentage error = (frac{285}{2400} times 100% = 11.875%)
(approxeq 12%)
(b) If 1 packet = 480 sheets cost N35.00
(therefore text{2400 sheets cost } frac{2400}{480} times N35.00 = N175.00)
Amount of buyer was cheated = (frac{Error times N175}{text{Expected no of sheets}})
(frac{N285 times 175}{2400} = N20.78)
The buyer was cheated by N21 to the nearest naira.