Question

A pest control company had a profit of \(\$ 3,514.65\) in April, a profit of \(\$ 5,674.25\) in May, a loss of \(\$ 8,992.88\) in June, and a loss of \(\$ 1,207.03\) in July. Did the company make a profit during the 4 -month period? Explain.

Short answer

To determine the overall profit (or loss), we sum up all the values: \$3,514.65 + \$5,674.25 - \$8,992.88 - \$1,207.03 = -\$1,011.01. Since the result is negative, the company did not make a profit during these four months.

Step-by-step solution

Identify the profits and losses

It is clear that the company made a profit of \$3,514.65 in April and \$5,674.25 in May. For June, the company incurred a loss of \$8,992.88. In July there was a further loss of \$1,207.03.

Convert the losses into negative values

In terms of numbers, a loss indicates a negative value. Hence, the loss of \$8,992.88 in June will be written as -\$8,992.88 and the loss of \$1,207.03 in July will be noted as -\$1,207.03.

Sum up all values

To determine if the company made an overall profit during these four months, sum up all the values by adding: \$3,514.65 + \$5,674.25 + (-\$8,992.88) + (-\$1,207.03).

Evaluate the result

If the result of the sum is positive, then the company made an overall profit. If the result is negative or zero, the company did not make a profit.