Phillipe is a circus equipment manager and has set up the high wire rope for the next performance. the rope can support up to 500 lbs and they have decided that to be safe they do not want to come within 5% of that limit. they have a new routine that uses three performers, a bike and a balance bar. the bike weighs 20 lbs, the balance bar 15 lbs, and the three performers weigh 175 lbs, 154 lbs, and 118 lbs.

to figure out if the rope will have to support more than the allowed amount (including the 5%) phillipe adds the three performers weights, the bike weight and the balance bar weight (he gets 482 lbs). he then multiplies this by 0.05 and subtracts from 500. if he gets a positive number he knows he is okay. is this correct?

yes.
b) no; he should have multiplied 500 by .05, then added 482, and subtracted that total from 500.
c) no; he should have divided 500 by .05, then added 482, and subtracted that total from 500.
d) no; he should have multiplied 500 by 5, then added 482, and subtracted that total from 500.