In this problem, we are going to write and solve a system of equations based on a real world situation.
Last week, she did 1 load of laundry and 8 loads of dishes, and her parents paid her $26. The week before, she finished 3 loads of laundry and 8 loads of dishes, earning a total of $30.
To begin, we need to create variables for the unknown cost of each chore.
Let x represent laundry, and let y represent dishes.
From the first equation, we can write the equation:

We can write the second equation as:

Together, we have the system:

Multiply the first equation by -1, then add it to the second equation:

We can divide the remaining equation by 2 on both sides:

Lada made $2 per load of laundry.
We can use the value of x in the first equation to find the value of y. Substitute x = 2:

Subtract 2 from both sides:

Divide by 8 on both sides:

Lada made $3 per load of dishes.