SOLUTION: One day a store sold a total of 178 pencils and notebooks. The cost of a pencil is $0.25 and the cost of a notebook is $0.50. The store collected $58.75 from the sale of these item

Question 850412: One day a store sold a total of 178 pencils and notebooks. The cost of a pencil is $0.25 and the cost of a notebook is $0.50. The store collected $58.75 from the sale of these items. The store lost the receipt for the day. How would you help the store determine how many of each item the store sold that day?
I do not need a definite answer, like x=34, I would like to know the "method" you would use to solve such a word problem. Could you please write an equation if there is one and explain why you would choose such a method.
Thank you
Found 2 solutions by josmiceli, harpazo:
Answer by josmiceli(19441) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let = the number of pencils sold
Let = the number of notebooks sold
--------------------------------------
(1)
(2)
-------------------------
These are 2 equations with 2 unknowns
so they are solvable for and

Answer by harpazo(655) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let p = pencil
Let n = notebook
p + n = 178
0.25p + 0.50n = 58.75

Use the substitution method to solve for p and n.
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