Question

Write a system of equations to describe the situation below, solve using substitution, and fill in the blanks.

Lee plans to attend the Sullivan County Fair and is trying to decide what would be a better deal. He can pay $33 for unlimited rides, or he can pay $17 for admission plus $2 per ride. If Lee goes on a certain number of rides, the two options wind up costing him the same amount. What is that cost? How many rides is that?


It will cost Lee $ ____
for both options if he goes on ____
rides.

Answer 1

Let's use "x" to represent the number of rides that Lee goes on.
Then, the cost of the first option, with unlimited rides, can be represented by the equation:
Cost of first option = $33

The cost of the second option, with admission and $2 per ride, can be represented by the equation:
Cost of second option = $17 + $2x

We know that the two options cost the same amount when Lee goes on a certain number of rides. Therefore, we can set the two equations equal to each other and solve for x:
$33 = $17 + $2x
$2x = $16
x = 8

Therefore, it will cost Lee $17 + $2(8) = $33 for both options if he goes on 8 rides.