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Tristan spends a total of $38.75 on 5 drinks and 2 bags of popcorn. Noah spends a total of $37.25 on 3 drinks and 4 bags of popcorn. Write a system of equations that can be used to find the price of one drink and the price of one bag of popcorn. Using these equations, determine and state the price of a bag of popcorn, to the nearest cent.

User Channon
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1 Answer

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Answer:

We use Simultaneous Equation to express the problem

From the equation, a bag of popcorn will cost $5

Explanation:

We can represent drink with d and bad of popcorn with p

If Tristan spent $38.75 on 5 drinks and 2 bags of popcorn, the we can interpret it as

5d + 2p = 38.75 ....................... eqn 1

And if Noah spent $37.25 on 3 drinks and 4 bags of popcorn, we can interpret it also as

3d + 4p = 37.25 ........................ eqn 2

This is now a Simultaneous Equation

Since we are to state the price of a bag of popcorn, then we can use the elimination method to eliminate d and solve for p

To do this, Multiply eqn 1 by 3 and eqn 2 by 5

(5d + 2p = 38.75)*3

(3d + 4p = 37.25)*5

The we will have

15d + 6p = 116.25 .......................... eqn 3

15d + 20p = 186.25 ...................... eqn 4

If we subtract eqn 3 from eqn 4, we will have

14p = 70

Divide both sides by 14 to get the value of p, and we will have

p = 70/14

p = 5

Therefore a bag of popcorn equals to $5

User Formentz
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