Final answer:
To find the total cost of the books, multiply the quantity of each type by its price and then sum these amounts, resulting in a total of $3.25 spent on 3 paperbacks and 5 hardbacks.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the total amount of money spent on paperback and hardback books, we need to multiply the number of each type of book by their respective prices and then add the two amounts together.
The cost for 3 paperback books is 3 books × $0.25 per book = $0.75. The cost for 5 hardback books is 5 books × $0.50 per book = $2.50.
To find the total amount spent, we add the cost of the paperbacks and hardbacks together:
$0.75 (paperback books) + $2.50 (hardback books) = $3.25 total.