SOLUTION: If four loaves of bread costs $8, a loaf of bread and a bag of oranges costs $7, and a loaf of bread, two bags of oranges and a basket of apples costs $17, what is the cost of a ba

Question 1203581: If four loaves of bread costs $8, a loaf of bread and a bag of oranges costs $7, and a loaf of bread, two bags of oranges and a basket of apples costs $17, what is the cost of a basket of apples?
Found 3 solutions by MathLover1, ikleyn, josgarithmetic:
Answer by MathLover1(20849)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

let loave of bread be
If four loaves of bread costs $,

loave of bread cost $

a loaf of bread and a bag of oranges costs $,
loave of bread cost $
let a bag of oranges be

a bag of oranges costs $

and a loaf of bread, two bags of oranges and a basket of apples costs $,
let a basket of apples be

the cost of a basket of apples:$

Answer by ikleyn(52778)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
If four loaves of bread costs $8,
a loaf of bread and a bag of oranges costs $7,
and a loaf of bread, two bags of oranges and a basket of apples costs $17,
what is the cost of a basket of apples?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good problem for 2nd or 3rd grade students, who only can add, multiply and divide
integer numbers, but know nothing else in Math, including knowing nothing about equations.

Solving step by step (1) If four loaves of bread cost $8, hence, one loave costs $8/4 = $2. (2) If a loaf of bread and a bag of oranges costs $7, hence, a bag of oranges costs $7 - $2 = $5. (3) If a loaf of bread, two bags of oranges and a basket of apples costs $17, hence, a basket of apples costs $17 - $2 - 2 * $5 = $5. ANSWER

Solved mentally.

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To teach students solving such problems using equations means to suppress their common sense and initiative.

To teach them to solve it mentally, as I did in my post, means to develop their common sense and initiative.

Answer by josgarithmetic(39617)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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If four loaves of bread costs $8, a loaf of bread and a bag of oranges costs $7, and a loaf of bread, two bags of oranges and a basket of apples costs $17,...
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First clause means 1 loaf of bread is for $2.

Also means the 1 loaf bread and bag of oranges the combination being $7, the bag of oranges must cost $5.

The 1 loaf + 2 bag oranges + basket apples = $17 compares to
------you already found the loaf price and the oranges price.

--------------price for basket of oranges
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