Answer:
Mary's initial investment was $2500
Step-by-step explanation:
Step 1: Translate the problem into an equation
Mary lost 20% of her investment, so she has 100% (original) - 20% (loss) = 80% remaining.
This remaining 80% is equal to $2000.
Therefore, we can express this as:
0.8 * I = $2000
Step 2: Solve for the initial investment (I)
To find the original investment (I), we need to isolate I on one side of the equation. We can do this by dividing both sides by 0.8.
I = ($2000) / 0.8
Step 3: Calculate the result
I = $2500.00
Answer: Mary's initial investment was $2500.00.