Question

Four friends plan to buy a get-well gift for a mutual acquaintance. At the last moment, a fifth friend joins the group funding the gift. Each of the five now pays $2 less for the same gift. How much does the gift cost (in dollars)? Provide a numerical answer without units.

A) $8

B) $10

C) $12

D) $14

Answer 1

To find the cost of the gift, an equation was set up based on the total cost and the number of friends contributing. It was determined that each of the four friends would initially pay $10 for the gift. The total cost of the gift is $40, and with the fifth friend, each friend pays $8.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine how much the gift cost, we can set up an equation based on the information provided. Let's use x to represent the original cost each of the four friends would have paid.

The total cost of the gift would be 4x. When the fifth friend joins, each friend pays $2 less, so the new cost per person is x - $2, and the total cost of the gift is now 5(x - $2).

Since the total cost of the gift doesn't change regardless of the number of friends contributing, we can equate the two expressions for the total cost:

1. 4x = 5(x - $2)
2. 4x = 5x - $10
3. $10 = 5x - 4x
4. $10 = x

So, each of the original four friends was going to pay $10. Now that the fifth friend has joined, the total cost of the gift remains $40 (4 friends × $10), and each of the five friends now pays $8 ($40 / 5 friends).