Given a math problem with context and a question and 5 answer choices, the task is to provide the correct answer choice based on the problem. You must choose one of the given answer choices by letter: a, b, c, d, or e; anything else is invalid.

Problem: a merchant sells an item at a 20 % discount, but still makes a gross profit of 20 percent of the cost. what percent of the cost would the gross profit on the item have been if it had been sold without the discount ?
Options: a. 20 %, b. 40 %, c. 50 %, d. 60 %, e. 75 %
c

Problem: a shop owner professes to sell his articles at certain cost price but he uses false weights with which he cheats by 12 % while buying and by 30 % while selling. what is his percentage profit ?
Options: a. 10.22 %, b. 20.22 %, c. 21.22 %, d. 60 %, e. ca n ' t be calculated
d

Problem: if a - b = 3 and a ^ 2 + b ^ 2 = 29, find the value of ab.
Options: a. 5, b. 10, c. 12, d. 14, e. 15

b