Apromotional sale at a department store offers 25% off the sale price. the sale price is 25% off the regular price. is this the same as a sale that offers 50% off the regular price? (try both with a coat whose original cost was $100)

It is not the same .

It is not the same because after doing the 25% the first time you will get a different number to be multiplied by 25%. But with 50% you only do it once to one number only

50%:
100 x 0.5= 50
100-50= 50
final price: $50

25% then another 25%:
discount off original price
100 x .25= 25
100-25= 75
discount off sales price
75 x .25=18.75
75-18.75= 56.25
final price $ 56.25

AS you can see it is not the same