Type A cost $5.75 per pound
Type B cost $4.25 per pound.
Set up 2 equations:
A. + B = 174 pounds
5.75A + 4.25B = 880.50
Rewrite the first equation as A= 174 - B
Replace A in the second equation:
5.75(174-B) + 4.25B= 880.50
Use distributive property:
1000.50 - 5.75B + 4.25B = 880.50
Combine like terms:
1000.50 - 1.5B = 880.50
Subtract 1000.50 from both sides:
-1.5B = -120
Divide both sides by -1.5:
B = -120 / -1.5
B = 80
They used 80 pounds of type B
Subtract B from the total used to find type A:
174 - 80 = 94
They used 94 pounds of type A