Question

Norma, a purchasing agent for a high-tech firm, is ordering computers for a new branch office. Laptops cost $740 apiece, and desktop computers cost $780 apiece. The budget for the computers is no more than $12,000.

What is the maximum number of laptops Norma can purchase within the budget?

a) 15
b) 16
c) 17
d) 18

Answer 1

To calculate the maximum number of laptops Norma can purchase with a budget of $12,000, divide the budget by the cost per laptop, which gives approximately 16.22. Thus, Norma can buy a maximum of 16 laptops.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking how many laptops can be purchased within a budget of $12,000 if each laptop costs $740. To find the maximum number of laptops Norma can purchase, we divide the total budget by the cost per laptop.

Maximum number of laptops = Budget / Cost per laptop

= $12,000 / $740 ≈ 16.22

Since Norma cannot purchase a fraction of a laptop, the maximum number she can buy is 16 laptops.

Therefore, the correct answer is (b) 16.