Final answer:
Tim can buy a maximum of 12 cupcakes.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the maximum number of cupcakes Tim can buy, we can set up an inequality.
Let's assume Tim can buy x cupcakes. If each cupcake costs $3, then the total cost of the cupcakes will be 3x dollars.
Since Tim can spend at most $36, we can write the inequality 3x ≤ 36.
To solve this inequality, we divide both sides by 3: x ≤ 12.
Therefore, the maximum number of cupcakes Tim can buy is 12.
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