Question

Kevin purchased fish at a grocery store at $5 per pound for salmon and $3 per pound for catfish. He spent a total of $36.60 on the salmon and catfish. Kevin purchased a total of 10 pounds of salmon and catfish at the grocery store. How many pounds of each type of fish did Kevin purchase?

a) 2 pounds of salmon and 8 pounds of catfish
b) 4 pounds of salmon and 6 pounds of catfish
c) 5 pounds of salmon and 5 pounds of catfish
d) 6 pounds of salmon and 4 pounds of catfish

Answer 1

Kevin purchased 4 pounds of salmon and 6 pounds of catfish, which corresponds to option (b).

Step-by-step explanation:

Let s represent the pounds of salmon and c represent the pounds of catfish that Kevin purchased. The total cost is given as $36.60, and the cost of salmon is $5 per pound, while the cost of catfish is $3 per pound. We can set up the following system of equations to represent the given information:

5s + 3c = 36.60 (equation representing the total cost)

s + c = 10 (equation representing the total pounds purchased)

Solving this system of equations yields s = 4 and c = 6, indicating that Kevin purchased 4 pounds of salmon and 6 pounds of catfish, which aligns with option (b).

Understanding the relationship between the pounds purchased, the cost per pound, and the total cost allows us to set up and solve the system of equations accurately, leading to the determination of the pounds of salmon and catfish Kevin purchased. The solution is consistent with option (b) among the choices provided.