1. **State the problem:** A hammock costs $50.40 before tax and $52.92 after tax. We need to find the sales tax percentage. 2. **Formula used:** The total price after tax is given by: $$\text{Total Price} = \text{Original Price} + \text{Tax Amount}$$ or equivalently, $$\text{Total Price} = \text{Original Price} \times (1 + \text{Tax Rate})$$ where Tax Rate is in decimal form. 3. **Set up the equation:** Let the sales tax rate be $r$ (in decimal). Then: $$52.92 = 50.40 \times (1 + r)$$ 4. **Solve for $r$:** Divide both sides by 50.40: $$\frac{52.92}{50.40} = \cancel{\frac{50.40}{50.40}} (1 + r)$$ $$1.05 = 1 + r$$ 5. **Find $r$:** $$r = 1.05 - 1 = 0.05$$ 6. **Convert to percentage:** $$0.05 \times 100 = 5\%$$ **Final answer:** The sales tax percentage is **5%**.