a painter charges $15.72 per hour, plus an additional amount for the supplies. if he made $143.65 on a job where he worked 4 hours, how much did the supplies cost?
The painter charges $15.72 per hour, so for 4 hours of work, he charges 4 * $15.72 = $<<4*15.72=62.88>>62.88.
The total amount earned for the job, including the supplies, is $143.65.
Therefore, the supplies cost $143.65 - $62.88 = $<<143.65-62.88=80.77>>80.77. Answer: \boxed{80.77}.