Question

Write a pseudocode algorithm for a program that calculates the total of a retail sale. The program should ask for the amount of the sale and the sales tax rate. The sales tax rate should be entered as a floating-point number. For example, if the sales tax rate is 6 percent, the user should enter \(0.06 .\) The program should display the amount of sales tax and the total of the sale. After you write the pseudocode algorithm, convert it to a complete \(\mathrm{C}_{++}\) program.

Short answer

Question: Write the steps to create a pseudocode algorithm for calculating the total of a retail sale, considering the given sales tax rate. Answer: The steps to create a pseudocode algorithm for calculating the total of a retail sale, considering the given sales tax rate, are as follows: 1. Read the amount of the sale. 2. Read the sales tax rate. 3. Calculate the sales tax by multiplying the sale amount by the sales tax rate. 4. Calculate the total of the sale by adding the sales tax to the sale amount. 5. Display the amount of sales tax. 6. Display the total of the sale.

Step-by-step solution

Read the amount of the sale.

Input the sale amount as a floating-point number.

Read the sales tax rate.

Input the sales tax rate as a floating-point number.

Calculate the sales tax.

Multiply the sale amount by the sales tax rate to get the sales tax.

Calculate the total of the sale.

Add the sales tax to the sale amount to get the total of the sale.

Display the amount of sales tax.

Output the sales tax calculated in Step 3.

Display the total of the sale.

Output the total of the sale calculated in Step 4. **C++ Program:** ```cpp #include using namespace std; int main() { float sale_amount, tax_rate, sales_tax, total_sale; // Step 1: Read the amount of the sale. cout << "Enter the sale amount: "; cin >> sale_amount; // Step 2: Read the sales tax rate. cout << "Enter the sales tax rate: "; cin >> tax_rate; // Step 3: Calculate the sales tax. sales_tax = sale_amount * tax_rate; // Step 4: Calculate the total of the sale. total_sale = sale_amount + sales_tax; // Step 5: Display the amount of sales tax. cout << "Sales tax: $" << sales_tax << endl; // Step 6: Display the total of the sale. cout << "Total Sale: $" << total_sale << endl; return 0; } ```

Key concepts

Pseudocode

Pseudocode is like a blueprint for your program. It is a detailed yet informal way to write out algorithms. Think of it as writing instructions for a computer program in plain English. This method is crucial because it helps you plan and structure your code before you start writing it in a specific programming language like C++. It is not bound by any strict syntax rules of a programming language, making it easy to understand and helps to catch logical errors early.
A pseudocode for calculating sales tax might look like this:

• Prompt the user for the sale amount
• Prompt the user for the sales tax rate
• Calculate sales tax: Multiply the sale amount by the sales tax rate
• Calculate total sale: Add the sales tax to the sale amount
• Display the sales tax
• Display the total sale amount

Following the pseudocode, you will convert these steps into actual code using a programming language like C++.

Floating-point Numbers

Floating-point numbers are numbers that have decimal points. They are essential in programming when you need precision in calculations, especially with fractional values. In C++, we use data types like `float` and `double` to represent floating-point numbers.
When dealing with sales tax calculations in our example, the sales tax rate is a floating-point number. If the tax rate is 5%, it should be entered as 0.05. This way, you can achieve accurate calculations by ensuring that all decimal places are considered.
Understanding how floating-point numbers work is important. They allow for representing extremely large or small numbers with great precision, but they are also subject to rounding errors, which means you should always be cautious about their limitations.

Sales Tax Calculation

Sales tax calculation is a common task in programming, especially in retail-related applications. The concept is straightforward: you need to calculate the tax amount and add it to the original price of an item to get the total sale value.
Here is how you calculate the sales tax:

• Multiply the sale amount by the sales tax rate to get the sales tax portion.
• Add the sales tax to the sale amount to get the total amount due.

This calculation is vital for accurately determining how much a customer owes. In programming terms, getting this calculation correct is crucial as it involves financial data, which requires high precision.
In the C++ example, the calculation is done using `sales_tax = sale_amount * tax_rate` and `total_sale = sale_amount + sales_tax`.

Input/Output Operations

Input/Output (I/O) operations in programming refer to getting data in and out of a program. These operations are fundamental for interacting with users.
In C++, the `cin` and `cout` commands are commonly used for I/O operations. `cin` is used for taking inputs from the user. For instance, when the program asks for the sale amount, you would use `cin >> sale_amount;`. This line reads the input provided by the user and assigns it to the variable `sale_amount`.
`cout` is used to display outputs to the user. When displaying the calculated sales tax or the total sale, we use commands like `cout << "Sales tax: $" << sales_tax << endl;`. This command outputs text and variables' contents to the console, allowing the user to see the results.
Mastering I/O operations is important for creating user-friendly programs that engage with users efficiently, making programs interactive and dynamic.