Question

The cost of 12 oranges and 7 apples is $5.36. Eight oranges and 5 apples cost $3.68. Find the

cost of each.

Answer 1

Let's solve this problem using algebra. Let x be the cost of one orange and y be the cost of one apple. Then we have the system of equations:

12x + 7y = 5.36

8x + 5y = 3.68

To solve for x and y, we can use elimination. Multiplying the second equation by 3 and subtracting it from the first equation multiplied by 5, we get:

(5*12 - 7*8)x + (5*7 - 3*5)y = 26.8 - 11.04

20x = 15.76

x = 0.788

Substituting x back into one of the equations, we can solve for y:

12(0.788) + 7y = 5.36

y = 0.308

Therefore, one orange costs $0.788 and one apple costs $0.308.