Question

A shopper bought 7 ears of corn and 6 pounds of bananas and paid $5.15. At the same store, another shopper bought 4 ears of corn and 1 pound of bananas and paid $1.85 . What is the price of an ear of corn?

Please help!

Answer 1

To find the price of an ear of corn, we set up a system of linear equations based on the given information. By solving the equations, we find that the price of an ear of corn is $0.35.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question involves solving a system of linear equations to find the price of an ear of corn. We have two equations based on the information given:

1. 7C + 6B = 5.15
2. 4C + B = 1.85

Where C is the price of an ear of corn and B is the price per pound of bananas. We can use the substitution or elimination method to solve for C.

Using the elimination method:

1. Multiply the second equation by -6 to eliminate B: -6(4C + B) = -6(1.85)
2. -24C - 6B = -11.10
3. Now, add this to the first equation:
4. (7C + 6B) + (-24C - 6B) = 5.15 + (-11.10)
5. -17C = -5.95
6. Divide both sides by -17:
7. C = 0.35

The price of an ear of corn is $0.35.