Final answer:
To find the number of cases the snack bar must buy for the two companies' prices to be the same, set up an equation equating the total cost for each company and solve for the number of cases. In this case, the snack bar must buy 25 cases of soda.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the number of cases the snack bar must buy for the two companies' prices to be the same, we can set up an equation. Let x be the number of cases of soda. For Company A, the cost would be $12x + $300, and for Company B, the cost would be $16x + $200. Setting these two expressions equal to each other and solving for x:
$12x + $300 = $16x + $200
$300 - $200 = $16x - $12x
$100 = $4x
Dividing both sides of the equation by $4, we get:
$25 = x
Therefore, the snack bar must buy 25 cases of soda for the two companies' prices to be the same.