Sam's discount store offers a 2% discount for paying cash. how much would joan pay if she pays cash for a set of skillets priced at $38.95?

If you multiply 38.95 by 0.02, you will get the amount taken away from the total when the discount is applied:

38.95x0.02=0.78

Then, you subtract that discount price from the total to get the amount Joan pays when she pays with cash:

38.95-0.78=35.17

Joan pays $35.17 in cash.