What is the total percentage discount applied when 2 successive discounts of 20% and 10% are applicable.
Successive discounts are multiple discounts applied one after another on a price. When a discount is applied, the price is reduced. Any subsequent discount is then applied to this new, reduced price, not the original price. It's important to calculate the impact of each discount sequentially.
Let's consider the problem of finding the total percentage discount when two successive discounts of 20% and 10% are applied. We can solve this in a couple of ways:
Let's assume the original price of an item is $100 for simplicity in calculation.
For two successive discounts \(d_1\%\) and \(d_2\%\), the single equivalent discount percentage (total discount) is given by the formula:
\( \text{Total Discount} = \left( d_1 + d_2 - \frac{d_1 \times d_2}{100} \right)\% \)
In this question, the first discount \(d_1 = 20\%\) and the second discount \(d_2 = 10\%\).
Both methods show that the total percentage discount applied is 28%.
Applying successive discounts means each subsequent discount reduces the price from the previously discounted amount. It's not simply adding the percentages together.
| Discount Step | Discount Percentage | Applied On | Calculation (assuming $100) | Resulting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | - | Original Price | $100 | $100 |
| First Discount | 20% | Original Price | $100 - (20% of $100) = $100 - $20 | $80 |
| Second Discount | 10% | Price after 1st Discount | $80 - (10% of $80) = $80 - $8 | $72 |
The final price is $72 when the original price was $100. The total reduction is $100 - $72 = $28, which is 28% of the original price.
| Concept | Description | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Single Discount | One percentage reduction applied to the original price. | Simple calculation. |
| Successive Discounts | Multiple percentage reductions applied one after another to the *current* price. | Order matters (though for two discounts, the final result is the same regardless of order), total discount is less than sum of individual discounts. |
| Equivalent Single Discount | A single discount percentage that gives the same final price as the series of successive discounts. | Useful for comparing different discount schemes. Calculated using formula or step-by-step method. |
Understanding successive discounts helps with other percentage-based problems like successive increases or net percentage change.
If a trader marks the price of an article 50 percent more than the cost price and allows a discount of 30 percent, then what is his profit percentage?
What will be the selling price of an article if two successive discounts of 15% and 12% are offered on its marked price of Rs. 25,500?
Printed price of a mobile is Rs. 6,400. It is sold in Rs. 2,560 with two consecutive discount. If first discount is 20%, then what is the second discount?
Lekhana saves Rs. 15 on the purchase of a book when a discount of 20% is given. How much did she pay for the book?
Marked price of an article is Rs.4000. Selling price of the article is Rs.2600. What is the discount percentage?