Final answer:
The price of the adult meal is found to be $24 by setting up an equation using the given information and solving for the variable representing the adult meal price.
Step-by-step explanation:
The price of an adult meal can be determined by setting up an equation based on the given information. Let the price of an adult meal be represented by the variable x. The price of a child's meal is half the price of an adult meal, so it is x/2. A group of 2 children and 5 adults paid a total of $144 for their meals, which can be represented by the equation 2*(x/2) + 5*x = 144. Simplifying this equation, we have x + 5x = 144, which leads to 6x = 144. Dividing both sides by 6 gives us x = 24. Therefore, the price of an adult meal is $24.