A shopkeeper sells an item for Rs. 4400 which has a marked price of Rs. 5000. What discount percentage is he offering on the item?

Introduction / Context:
This is a basic discount problem where the marked price and the selling price are given. The aim is to compute the percentage discount provided by the shopkeeper.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Marked price = Rs. 5000.
• Selling price = Rs. 4400.
• We must find the discount percentage on the marked price.

Concept / Approach:
Discount amount is the difference between marked price and selling price. Discount percentage is (discount amount / marked price) * 100. The base is always the marked price for such calculations.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Marked price MP = 5000.Selling price SP = 4400.Discount amount = MP - SP = 5000 - 4400 = 600.Discount percentage = (discount / MP) * 100.So discount percentage = (600 / 5000) * 100.Compute 600 / 5000 = 0.12.Thus discount percentage = 0.12 * 100 = 12 percent.

Verification / Alternative check:
If a discount of 12 percent is offered on Rs. 5000, the discount amount is 0.12 * 5000 = 600 and the selling price becomes 5000 - 600 = 4400, consistent with the given data.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A 20 percent discount would give a selling price of 4000, 15 percent would give 4250 and 10 percent would give 4500. None of these match the actual selling price of 4400, so they are incorrect.

Common Pitfalls:
Sometimes students divide by 4400 instead of 5000, which is wrong for discount percentage. Others miscalculate the difference or misplace the decimal while converting to percentage. Always double check both subtraction and division steps.

Final Answer:
The shopkeeper offers a discount of 12 percent.