What is a 50% discount on an item priced at $40?

To find a 50% discount on an item priced at $40, you first need to calculate what half of the original price is. Since a 50% discount means the price is reduced by half, you take the original price of $40 and multiply it by 0.50 (which represents 50%).

Calculating this gives you:

$40 * 0.50 = $20

This means the discount amount is $20. The new price after applying the discount would then be:

$40 - $20 = $20

Thus, a 50% discount amounts to saving $20 off the original price, making the correct answer the total discount value of $20. This demonstrates a clear understanding of percentage calculations in the context of discounts.