Question

Sabrina can spend at most $5, including tax, to buy 3 cards. She finds 2 cards priced at $1.25 each and 1 card priced at $1.99, not including tax. Which inequality could be used to determine the amount of money, in dollars, Sabrina can afford to spend on tax (s) when she buys the 3 cards?

1) 2(1.25 + 1.99) - s ≥ 5
2) 2(1.25 + 1.99) - s ≤ 5
3) 2(1.25) + 1.99s ≤ 5
4) 2(1.25) + 1.99s ≥ 5

Answer 1

The correct inequality to determine the tax Sabrina can afford when buying 3 cards that totals $4.49 before tax is 2(1.25) + 1.99 + s ≤ 5.

Step-by-step explanation:

When determining which inequality represents the scenario where Sabrina can afford to spend on tax for the 3 cards, it is important to first calculate the total cost without tax. Sabrina finds 2 cards at $1.25 each and 1 card at $1.99, so the total before tax would be 2(1.25) + 1.99. This equation represents the combined cost of the cards without tax, and equals $4.49. Remember, she can spend at most $5, including tax. Therefore, the amount she can spend on tax (s) added to the price of the cards must be less than or equal to $5. This is represented by the inequality 2(1.25) + 1.99 + s ≤ 5. From the options given, the second inequality correctly represents Sabrina's situation: 2(1.25) + 1.99 + s ≤ 5. The other options contain errors, such as incorrect totals or using subtraction instead of addition for the tax.