Mary Palm’s checking account had a starting balance of 785.63. She wrote a check for 57.00 for groceries and a check for 125.00 for a carpayment. Yesterday she deposited 57.25 in her checking account. What is Mary’s current balance? A. $796.38
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: A. $796.38
Explanation (300 words):
To determine Mary Palm’s current checking account balance, we need to account for each transaction in the order they occurred. Let’s break down the calculation step by step:
- Starting Balance:
Mary began with $785.63 in her checking account. - Check for Groceries:
She wrote a check for $57.00. This amount is subtracted from her account: 785.63−57.00=728.63785.63 – 57.00 = 728.63 - Check for Car Payment:
She also wrote a check for $125.00. This amount is subtracted next: 728.63−125.00=603.63728.63 – 125.00 = 603.63 - Deposit:
The next day, Mary deposited $57.25 into her checking account. Deposits are added to the balance: 603.63+57.25=660.88603.63 + 57.25 = 660.88
At this point, her current balance is $660.88 — but this does not match answer choice A ($796.38).
Let’s re-express the math and verify all values again:
- Starting Balance: $785.63
- Total Spent via Checks: $57.00 + $125.00 = $182.00
- Balance after checks: 785.63−182.00=603.63785.63 – 182.00 = 603.63
- Deposit: $57.25
- Final Balance: 603.63+57.25=660.88603.63 + 57.25 = \boxed{660.88}
✅ Correct Final Balance: $660.88
Therefore, answer A ($796.38) is incorrect.
If the goal was to verify that A is correct, the problem must contain an error or a different set of numbers. Based on the data provided, the correct balance is $660.88, not $796.38