Question

Claudia bought 2 filing cabinets and 4 cupboards. A filing cabinet costs 3 times as much as a cupboard. She paid 800 altogether. What was the cost of the cupboard.

Answer 1

Claudia bought 2 filling cabinets & 4 cupboards.

Suppose a cupboard cost is X

So a filling cabinet cost is 3X (as filling cabinet costs 3 times as much as cupboard)

4 cupboards cost = 4X

2 filling cabinet cost = 6X

( as 1 filling cabinet cost is 3X)

4X + 6X = 800

Or 10X = 800

So X = 80

We took X In the beginning as the cost of cupboard. So the cost of cupboard is 80

Explanation:

Answer 2

Explanation:

If f = price of filing cabinet and c = price of cupboard we can make up the equation

2f + 4c = 800

we also know that f = 3c, so can substitute that into equation

2 (3c) + 4c = 800

6c + 4c = 800

10c = 800

c = 80

f = 240