Find the total cost of 96 shares of Rs. 10 each that are quoted at a discount of Re. 0.75 per share (that is, at Rs. 9.25), if brokerage is Re. 0.25 per share.

Introduction / Context:
This question deals with calculating the total cost of buying a fixed number of shares when both a discount and brokerage per share are specified. Here, the shares have a face value of Rs. 10 but are available at a small discount, and a flat brokerage per share is added on top of the market price to get the effective purchase cost.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Number of shares = 96.
• Face value of each share = Rs. 10.
• Discount per share = Re. 0.75, so quoted market price per share = 10 - 0.75 = Rs. 9.25.
• Brokerage per share = Re. 0.25.
• We assume no other costs or taxes.

Concept / Approach:
The effective cost per share is the sum of the market price and the brokerage. Once we know this per-share cost, we multiply by the number of shares to find the total investment. The steps are:
1. Find quoted price after discount. 2. Add brokerage per share to obtain effective cost per share. 3. Multiply by number of shares to get total cost.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Quoted market price per share = face value - discount = 10 - 0.75 = Rs. 9.25. Step 2: Brokerage per share = Re. 0.25. Step 3: Effective cost per share = 9.25 + 0.25 = Rs. 9.50. Step 4: Number of shares purchased = 96. Step 5: Total cost of 96 shares = 96 * 9.50. Step 6: Compute 96 * 9.50 = (96 * 9) + (96 * 0.5) = 864 + 48 = Rs. 912. Step 7: Therefore, the buyer must pay Rs. 912 in total to purchase these 96 shares.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can also reason that the total discount on face value is 96 * 0.75 = Rs. 72 and total brokerage is 96 * 0.25 = Rs. 24. If there were no discount or brokerage, cost at face value would be 96 * 10 = Rs. 960. Then apply the net adjustment: cost = 960 - 72 + 24 = 960 - 48 = Rs. 912, confirming our answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Rs. 921 and Rs. 920 result from incorrect arithmetic in applying discount or brokerage. Rs. 900 would mean an effective price below Rs. 9.50 per share, which contradicts the given data. Rs. 960 corresponds to purchasing at face value without discount or brokerage and therefore does not match the conditions of the problem. Only Rs. 912 correctly incorporates both the discount and the brokerage per share.

Common Pitfalls:
Common mistakes include ignoring brokerage or subtracting it instead of adding it in a purchase scenario. Some students also apply the discount to the total cost incorrectly rather than computing the quoted price per share first. Always work stepwise: adjust the face value to get the market price, then add brokerage, then multiply by the number of shares.

Final Answer:
The total cost of the 96 shares is Rs. 912.