Final answer:
To find out the number of coupon books that the math club at West University needs to sell to have a profit greater than $500, we need to use the formula for profit and set up an inequality.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find out the number of coupon books that the math club at West University needs to sell to have a profit greater than $500, we need to use the information provided. The profit is 35% of the total sales, and each coupon book costs $15.00. Let's assume the number of coupon books they need to sell is x.
Profit = 35% * Total Sales
Total Sales = Number of Coupon Books * Cost per Coupon Book
Profit > $500, so we have the inequality: 35% * (x * $15.00) > $500
Simplifying the inequality, we have 0.35x > $500 / $15.00
Dividing both sides by 0.35, we find that x > $500 / $15.00 / 0.35
Using a calculator, we can evaluate the right side to find the value of x:
x > 19.0476
Hence, West University math club needs to sell at least 20 coupon books to make a profit greater than $500.