Question

The admission fee at a local zoo is $1.50 for children and $5.00 for adults. On a certain day, 3700

people enter the zoo and
$11, 500.00 is collected. How many children and how many adults
attended?
How many children attended?
How many adults attended?

Answer 1

Answer is 2000 child tickets and 1700 adult tickets for a total of 3700 tickets sold

Step by step

a = adult tickets
c = child tickets

adult tickets = 3700 - child tickets
a = 3700 - c (equation 1)

$1.50 child tickets + $5 adult tickets = $11500
1.50c + 5a = 11500 (equation 2)

Now we have two equations.
Substitute equation 1 for “a” in equation 2 to solve for “c”

1.50c + 5(3700 - c) = 11500
Distribute

1.50c + 18500 -5c = 11500
Combine

-3.5c + 18500 = 11500
Subtract 18500 from both sides to isolate c

-3.5c + 18500 - 18500 = 11500 - 18500

-3.5c = -7000
Divide both sides by -3.5 to solve c

-3.5/-3.5 c = -7000/-3.5

C = 2000 child tickets sold

We know adult tickets = 3700 - child tickets

equation a = 3700 - c

Substitute our c value of 2000 into equation

a = 3700 - 2000

a = 1700 adult tickets sold