Karl bought $42.50 worth of items through a catalog. If he had

to pay 5.5% sales tax and a shipping charge of $3.50, what was the
total amount of the purchase?
a. $46.19
b. $48.34
c. $48.53
d. $44.65

First, we need to calculate the sales tax:

5.5% of $42.50 = $2.34

Next, we add the sales tax and shipping charge to the cost of the items:

$42.50 + $2.34 + $3.50 = $48.34

Therefore, the total amount of the purchase was $48.34.

The answer is b. $48.34.