Final answer:
The gardener spent $240 on maple saplings, and since he bought a total of 200 maple saplings, the cost of each maple sapling is $1.20.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the cost of each maple sapling, we need to solve the problem step-by-step.
First, we need to find the total amount spent on poplars, gingkos, and maples. We know that the ratio of the amount spent on poplars to gingkos to maples is 5:6:4. So, if we let the amounts spent be 5x, 6x, and 4x respectively, the total amount spent would be 15x. We are given that the total amount spent is $900, so we can set up the equation:
15x = 900
Solving for x, we get x = 60.
Next, we can calculate the cost of each maple sapling. We know that the gardener bought a total of 1500 saplings and planted 800 poplars and 500 gingkos. So, the number of maples would be 1500 - 800 - 500 = 200.
Since the total amount spent on maples is 4x, we can substitute x = 60 into the equation:
4 * 60 = $240.
Therefore, each maple sapling costs $240.
The problem can be solved by first determining the total amounts spent on each type of sapling based on the given ratios. If the gardener spent a total of $900 on poplar, gingko, and maple saplings, and the ratio of the amount he spent is 5:6:4, then we can set up the following equation to find the multiplier for each part of the ratio:
5x + 6x + 4x = $900
Solving for x gives 15x = $900, which means x = $900 / 15 = $60. The amounts spent on each type of sapling are:
- Poplars: 5x = 5 * $60 = $300
- Gingkos: 6x = 6 * $60 = $360
- Maples: 4x = 4 * $60 = $240
Since he planted 800 poplars and 500 gingkos, we have 1500 total - 800 - 500 = 200 maple saplings that were bought.
The cost per maple sapling is calculated by dividing the total amount spent on maples by the number of maple saplings:
Cost per maple sapling = $240 / 200 = $1.20
Therefore, each maple sapling cost $1.20.