A table of the US minimum wage for six different years is shown below.
| Year | US minimum wage (dollars per hour) |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.00 |
| 1970 | 1.60 |
| 1980 | 3.10 |
| 1990 | 3.80 |
| 2000 | 5.15 |
| 2010 | 7.25 |
What was the percent increase of the minimum wage from 1960 to 1970?
A percent increase measures how much an amount grew compared with where it started. For a table question, read only the rows for the two years named, then divide the increase by the earlier value and multiply by . The tempting trap is dividing by the later value, which measures the change against where the amount ended.
Hints
- Hint 1
The original value is the starting value. For a change from 1960 to 1970, which row gives the wage you should compare the increase with?
- Hint 2
Find the extra dollars per hour by subtracting the earlier wage from the later one. To turn that extra amount into a percent increase, divide it by the earlier wage.
Step-by-step
Compare the increase with the 1960 wage
Step 1Identify the starting and ending wages
The 1960 row gives $1.00 per hour, the original wage, or starting amount. The 1970 row gives the new wage, $1.60 per hour. The later rows don't belong to this change.
- Step 2
Set up the percent increase
A percent increase compares only the extra amount with the original amount. Subtract the 1960 wage from the 1970 wage, then divide by the 1960 wage: . The starting amount goes under the fraction bar.
- Step 3
Calculate and answer
Type in Desmos. It prints , so the minimum wage increased by from 1960 to 1970. Choice B.