Final answer:
To determine the quantity of muskets and bullets the revolutionary army can afford with a $600 budget, we use the equation 56x + 2y = 600, where x is the number of muskets and y is the number of bullets.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question presents a scenario where muskets and bullets have fixed costs, and the revolutionary army has a limited budget to spend. To establish what combination of muskets and bullets the army can afford with all its money, we need an equation that represents this budget constraint.
Let's denote the number of muskets as x and the number of bullets as y. According to the given prices, muskets cost $56 each, and bullets cost $2 each. The total budget is $600. The equation that represents spending all the money on muskets and bullets is:
56x + 2y = 600
This equation allows us to solve for different combinations of muskets and bullets that would equal the total budget available.