Question

5 pencils and 3 pens costs £11.

4 pencils and 6 pens costs £16.
Find the cost of a pencil.
Find the cost of a pen.

Answer 1

The pencil is £1 and the pen is £2

Explanation:

Let the pencil be p and let the pen be f.

5p + 3f = 11

4p + 6f = 16

the top one multiplies by two:

10p + 6f = 22

4p + 6f = 16 subtract

6p = £6

pencil = £1

Then you substitute the value of the pencil into the equation and find the value of the pen.