What will come in place of the question mark (?) in the following calculation involving percentages and basic arithmetic? 1.5% of 4600 + 2.8% of 2000 - 109 = ?

Introduction / Context:
This problem checks the ability to handle percentage calculations combined with addition and subtraction. It mirrors the type of quick arithmetic required in banking, finance, and government examinations. The learner must convert percentages to actual values and then perform basic operations carefully.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Expression: 1.5% of 4600 + 2.8% of 2000 - 109. - The symbol % means percent, or parts per hundred. - Standard order of operations applies.

Concept / Approach:
Percent calculations follow the rule x% of y = (x / 100) * y. After finding each percentage value, those results are combined using normal arithmetic. The final number is then compared with the given options. Accuracy in multiplication and subtraction is essential, since small errors change the answer completely.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Compute 1.5% of 4600: (1.5 / 100) * 4600 = 0.015 * 4600 = 69. Step 2: Compute 2.8% of 2000: (2.8 / 100) * 2000 = 0.028 * 2000 = 56. Step 3: Add these two results: 69 + 56 = 125. Step 4: Subtract 109 from this sum: 125 - 109 = 16. Step 5: Therefore, the required value of the expression is 16.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can approximate to confirm the reasonableness of the answer. One and a half percent of 4600 is a bit less than 2% of 4600 (which is 92), and 2.8% of 2000 is a bit more than 2% of 2000 (which is 40). So their sum is expected somewhere around 69 plus 56, close to 125. Subtracting about 100 gives a result slightly above 20. The exact computation gives 16, which is consistent with this rough estimate when we consider the exact values.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Option 32 would require 125 - 109 to equal 32, which is arithmetically incorrect. - Option 28 also does not match the correct subtraction result. - Option 12 would correspond to a different subtraction such as 121 - 109, not the value obtained here.

Common Pitfalls:
Common mistakes include misplacing the decimal point during percent conversion, such as using 1.5 instead of 0.015, and subtracting 109 from only one of the two percentage components instead of from their sum. Another error is performing operations in a different order, which distorts the result.

Final Answer:
The value of the expression is 16, so the correct option is 16.