Final answer:
Samuel earned a total of $11.20 by recycling cans, which allows him to buy 1 full battery priced at $6 each, with some money left over.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question deals with determining the number of batteries Samuel can buy after selling cans to recycle. Samuel earns $0.40 per pound from recycling cans and wants to buy batteries that cost $6 each. On Monday, he recycles 16.2 pounds of cans and on Tuesday, he recycles 11.8 pounds.
To solve this, we first need to calculate the total earnings for the two days:
- Monday: 16.2 pounds × $0.40/pound = $6.48
- Tuesday: 11.8 pounds × $0.40/pound = $4.72
Next, we add the earnings from both days to find the total amount Samuel has earned:
Total earnings: $6.48 (Monday) + $4.72 (Tuesday) = $11.20
Now, we determine how many batteries Samuel can buy with his total earnings. To do this, we divide the total earnings by the cost of one battery:
Number of batteries: $11.20 total earnings ÷ $6 per battery = 1.86 batteries
Since Samuel cannot buy a fraction of a battery, he can buy 1 full battery with his earnings, and he'll have some money left over.