Question

1 pencil, 2 pens, and 1 eraser cost a total of $0.20. 2 pencils, 3 pens, and 3 erasers cost a total of $0.41. 4 pencils, 1 pen, and 2 erasers cost $0.42. How much does it cost to buy 1 pencil, 1 pen, and 1 eraser?

Answer 1

To find the cost of 1 pencil, 1 pen, and 1 eraser, we can solve a system of equations using the given information.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve this problem, we can assign variables to the cost of each item.

Let's say the cost of a pencil is x dollars, the cost of a pen is y dollars, and the cost of an eraser is z dollars.

From the given information, we can set up a system of equations:

1. 1x + 2y + 1z = 0.20
2. 2x + 3y + 3z = 0.41
3. 4x + 1y + 2z = 0.42

We can solve this system of equations to find the values of x, y, and z. Once we have the values, we can calculate the cost of buying 1 pencil, 1 pen, and 1 eraser by substituting the values into the equation: 1x + 1y + 1z.