Question

Nicholas bought three business-related books. His total bill was $150. If one book cost him 50% more than the other two books combined, what was the price of this more expensive book?

a. $40
b. $50
c. $60
d. $70

Answer 1

To determine the price of the more expensive book, we set the price of the two cheaper books at x and solved the equation 2x + 1.5x = $150, resulting in an x value of $40. Therefore, the more expensive book cost 1.5 times $40, which is $60.

Step-by-step explanation:

The total bill for the three books that Nicholas bought was $150. To find the price of the more expensive book, we can let the cost of the two less expensive books be x each. Consequently, the cost of the more expensive book would be x + 0.5(x + x) = 1.5x. The equation representing the total cost is thus 2x + 1.5x = $150. Solving this equation, we find that x equals $40.

Therefore, the more expensive book costs 1.5 times $40, which is $60. Nicholas bought the more expensive book for $60, which makes option c the correct answer.