SOLUTION: I'm not good with word problems. I need help transluting it to equations so I can solve them. Thanks! A university bookstore recently sold a wirebound graph-paper notebook for $

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Question 137163: I'm not good with word problems. I need help transluting it to equations so I can solve them. Thanks!
A university bookstore recently sold a wirebound graph-paper notebook for $2.50, and a college-ruled notebook for $2.30. At the start of spring semester, a combination of 50 of these notebooks were sold for a total of $118.60. How many of each type were sold?

Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A university bookstore recently sold a wire-bound graph-paper notebook for $2.50, and a college-ruled notebook for $2.30. At the start of spring semester, a combination of 50 of these notebooks were sold for a total of $118.60. How many of each type were sold?
:
Let x = no. of graph notebooks
Let y = no. of ruled notebooks
:
Write an equation for this sentence:
"a combination of 50 of these notebooks were sold" this translates to:
x + y = 50
y = (50 - x); we can use this for substitution
:
Then it says "for a total of $118.60." we can write an equation for that:
2.50x + 2.30y = 118.60
:
Substitute (50-x) for y in the above equation, solve for x:
2.50x + 2.30(50-x) = 118.60
:
2.50x + 115 - 2.30x = 118.60; multiplied what's inside the brackets
:
2.50x - 2.30x = 118.60 - 115; subtracted 115 from both sides
:
.2x = 3.6
x =
x = 18 ea graph notebooks
:
Find y from the 1st equation y = 50 - x
y = 50 - 18
y = 32 ruled notebooks
;
:
Check solution by finding out if 18 graphed at 2.50 and 32 ruled at 2.30 do, indeed, cost 118.60
2.50(18) + 2.30(32) =
45 + 73.60 = 118.60, confirms our solutions
:
:
Did you understand what went on here. Do you think you could so a similar problem now?



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