Final answer:
After subtracting the cost of snacks from the total spent, dividing the remaining amount by two gives the cost of each movie ticket, which is $17.50.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nicole spent a total of $53 on movie tickets and snacks. Since the snacks cost $18, we can subtract this from the total to find the cost of the movie tickets. $53 total - $18 snacks = $35 for the movie tickets.
Since she bought tickets for herself and a friend, we can assume there are two tickets. To find the cost of each ticket, divide the total ticket cost by two. $35 ÷ 2 = $17.50 per ticket.