Answer: the cost of a ticket to the game is $7.5
Explanation:
Let x represent the price of each ticket.
Let y represent the price of each souvenir.
Mr. Smith put two tickets to this basketball game and one souvenir for a total of $17.25. This is expressed as
2x + y = 17.25- - - - - - - - - - -1
Mrs. Lockhart bought five tickets for the same game and 2 souvenirs for a total of $42
This is expressed as
5x + 2y = 42- - - - - - - - - - -2
Multiplying equation 1 by 2 and equation 2 by 1. It becomes
4x + 2y = 34.5
5x + 2y = 42
Subtracting, it becomes
- x = - 7.5
x = 7.5
Substituting x = 7.5 into equation 1, it becomes
2 × 7.5 + y = 17.25
15 + y = 17.25
y = 17.25 - 15
y = 2.25