Final answer:
Mary must sell 170 cups of bubble tea to earn $216.
Step-by-step explanation:
To earn $216, Mary needs to find out how many cups of bubble tea she must sell to reach that amount. Let's break down the problem into two parts:
Step 1: Calculate the amount Mary earns per cup of bubble tea. She receives $0.60 per cup.
Step 2: Calculate the additional amount Mary earns for every 20 cups of bubble tea sold. She receives $12 for every 20 cups.
To find the total number of cups Mary must sell, we can set up the equation:
$0.60x + $12(x/20) = $216
Simplifying the equation, we get:
0.60x + 0.60x = 216 - 12
1.20x = 204
x = 204/1.20 = 170
Mary must sell 170 cups of bubble tea to earn $216.