Question

A shop has one-pound bags of peanuts for $2 and three-pound bags of peanuts for $5.50. If you buy 8 bags and spend $37, how many of each size bag did you buy?

Answer 1

• 6 3-lb bags
• 2 1-lb bags

Explanation:

Let x represent the number of 3-lb bags purchased. Then the total purchase was ...

$2(8 -x) +$5.50(x) = $37

16 +3.50x = 37 . . . . . . . . . divide by $, collect terms

3.50x = 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . subtract 16

21/3.50 = x = 6 . . . . . . . . divide by the coefficient of x

You bought 6 3-lb bags of peanuts and 2 1-lb bags.