Question

Patricia buys a combination of 42¢ stamps and 59¢ stamps at the Post Office. If she spends exactly $22.70 on 50 stamps, how many of each type did she buy?

A. 20 of 42¢ stamps and 30 of 59¢ stamps
B. 30 of 42¢ stamps and 20 of 59¢ stamps
C. 25 of 42¢ stamps and 25 of 59¢ stamps
D. 15 of 42¢ stamps and 35 of 59¢ stamps

Answer 1

To solve this problem, set up a system of equations and use the substitution method to find the values of x and y. The correct answer is A. 20 of 42¢ stamps and 30 of 59¢ stamps.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve this problem, let's use a system of equations. Let x represent the number of 42¢ stamps and y represent the number of 59¢ stamps. We have the following equations:

1. x + y = 50 (total number of stamps)

2. 0.42x + 0.59y = 22.70 (total cost of stamps)

To solve this system, we can use the substitution method. From equation 1, we can rewrite it as x = 50 - y. Substituting this into equation 2, we get:

0.42(50 - y) + 0.59y = 22.70

Simplifying and solving for y, we get y = 30. Substituting this back into equation 1, we find x = 20. Therefore, Patricia bought 20 of the 42¢ stamps and 30 of the 59¢ stamps. So, the correct answer is A. 20 of 42¢ stamps and 30 of 59¢ stamps.