Final answer:
The carpenter cannot buy twelve 2-by-8 boards and fourteen 4-by-4 boards within the $250 budget, as the total cost would be $264, exceeding the budget.
Step-by-step explanation:
A carpenter has at most $250 to spend on lumber. The inequality 8x + 12y ≤ 250 represents the numbers x of 2-by-8 boards and the number y of 4-by-4 boards the carpenter can buy. To determine if the carpenter can buy twelve 2-by-8 boards and fourteen 4-by-4 boards, we substitute x with 12 and y with 14 in the inequality:
8(12) + 12(14) ≤ 250
Simplify the equation:
96 + 168 ≤ 250
264 ≤ 250
Since 264 is greater than 250, the carpenter cannot buy twelve 2-by-8 boards and fourteen 4-by-4 boards without exceeding the budget.