Answer:
x is the price of the meal
(1+0.0825 + 0.18) is the total percentage on top of the price he pays with sales tax and tip.
Step-by-step explanation:
The factor x is the price of the meal. The factor (1 + 0.0825 + 0.18) is the 100% of the price, the sales tax on that price and the tip on the total. 1 + 0.0825 + 0.18 = 1.2625 is the total percentage he pays on the price. He pays 26.25% in addition of the price of the meal to cover tax and tip.
