Arithmetic Reasoning

If sales tax is 8.5%, how much is the sales tax on a table that costs $150?

As an ASVAB tutor, I teach my students about percentages.  Percentages is one of the many important topics that can be seen on the Arithmetic Reasoning section of the ASVAB.  Sales tax is one type of question that involves the use of percentages.  There are a few steps involved in figuring out the sales.  The first step is to change the percent to a decimal.  Do you know what step comes next?  I will present the answer and explanation