Final answer:
Sam can buy various combinations of roses and daisies without exceeding his budget of $24.75 by following the equation 2.50x + 1.75y = 24.75, with x and y representing the number of roses and daisies respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sam has $24.75 to spend on flowers, with each rose costing $2.50 and each daisy costing $1.75. To determine his options for buying roses and daisies, we can use the equation 2.50x + 1.75y = 24.75, where x represents the number of roses and y represents the number of daisies. This equation will give us all the possible combinations of roses and daisies that Sam can purchase without exceeding his budget of $24.75.
For instance, if Sam decides to buy all roses, he could buy up to 9 roses (since $2.50 * 9 = $22.50) and would have enough money left for maybe one daisy, as he would still be under budget. Similarly, if he decides to purchase only daisies, he could buy up to 14 daisies (since $1.75 * 14 = $24.50). Other combinations will also work as long as the total cost does not exceed $24.75.