An article has a marked price of Rs. 1500 and is sold for Rs. 1250.\nWhat discount percentage is offered on the marked price?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on calculating discount percentage when the marked price and selling price of an article are known. This type of problem is commonly found in commercial arithmetic and tests the ability to relate absolute rupee differences to percentage reductions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Marked price (MP) of the article = Rs. 1500.
• Selling price (SP) of the article = Rs. 1250.
• Discount amount = MP minus SP.
• We need to find the discount percentage with respect to the marked price.

Concept / Approach:
The discount percent is defined as (discount amount / marked price) * 100. First compute the discount amount as the difference between the marked price and the selling price. Then divide this difference by the marked price to obtain the fraction of discount, and finally convert it into a percentage by multiplying by 100. This straightforward method is essential for solving shop and selling price related questions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Compute the discount amount: Discount = MP - SP = 1500 - 1250 = Rs. 250. Step 2: Use the formula for discount percentage: Discount% = (Discount / MP) * 100. Step 3: Substitute the values: Discount% = (250 / 1500) * 100. Step 4: Simplify the fraction: 250 / 1500 = 1 / 6. Step 5: Multiply by 100: Discount% = (1 / 6) * 100 = 16.666...%, usually written as 16.67%.

Verification / Alternative check:
To cross check, compute 16.67% of the marked price 1500. Approximately, 16.67% of 1500 is 1500 * 0.1667 which is close to 250. Subtracting 250 from 1500 yields 1250, which matches the selling price. This confirms that the discount rate of 16.67% is consistent with the given data.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
10%: 10% of 1500 is 150, not 250; selling price would be 1350, not 1250.
20%: 20% of 1500 is 300, which would make the selling price 1200, not 1250.
25%: 25% of 1500 is 375, also inconsistent with the given selling price.
12.5%: 12.5% of 1500 is 187.5, which is not the actual discount amount of 250.

Common Pitfalls:
A typical mistake is to divide the discount by the selling price instead of the marked price, which leads to the wrong percentage. Another error is rounding too early in calculations and not recognizing that 1 divided by 6 is exactly 16.666...%. Always base the discount percentage on the original marked price.

Final Answer:
The discount offered is 16.67% of the marked price.