SOLUTION: At a fish fry fundraiser, the Math Club raised $277.50. Child plates were sold for $2.25 and adult plates were sold for $4.75. If there were twice as many child plates sold than

Question 1152162: At a fish fry fundraiser, the Math Club raised $277.50. Child plates were sold for $2.25 and adult plates were sold for $4.75. If there were twice as many child plates sold than adult plates, how many adult plates were sold?
Found 3 solutions by MathLover1, MathTherapy, greenestamps:
Answer by MathLover1(20850)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

let the number of adult plates be and the number of child plates
the Math Club raised $.
child plates were sold for $ :
adult plates were sold for $ :
=>.........eq.1
If there were as many child plates sold than adult plates,we have
.......eq.2...substitute in eq.1

.........solve for

go to eq.2
..........substitute

how many adult plates were sold?
answer:
how many child plates were sold?
answer:

check:

Answer by MathTherapy(10552)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

At a fish fry fundraiser, the Math Club raised $277.50. Child plates were sold for $2.25 and adult plates were sold for $4.75. If there were twice as many child plates sold than adult plates, how many adult plates were sold?

Let number of adults' plates be A
Then number of children's plates = 2A
We then get: 2.25(2A) + 4.75A = 277.5
4.5A + 4.75A = 277.5
9.25A = 277.5
A, or adults' plates sold =
That's IT!! Nothing MORE, nothing LESS!
Answer by greenestamps(13200)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Take a good look at now much work tutor @MathLover1 did to solve the problem using two variables; then look how little work tutor @MathTherapy did to solve the problem using a single variable.

The lesson there is that it is nearly always easier to solve a problem if you can set it up using one variable instead of two (or more).

In this problem, that is definitely the case, since the information that the number of child plates was twice the number of adult plates makes it easy to use a single variable.

REMEMBER THIS LESSON!!

RELATED QUESTIONS
A buffet sells plates for seniors at $6, adults at $9, and children for free. If 150... (answered by stanbon)
The sustainability club held a fundraiser where they sold 50 tickets to the Red Sox game, (answered by LisaDrapeau)
At a charity fundraiser, adult tickets were sold for $12 each and... (answered by Boreal)
Tickets for a film show were sold at ghc5 per adult and ghc3 per child. The total amount... (answered by josgarithmetic,greenestamps,ikleyn)
Admissions prices at a high school football game were $6 for adults and $2 for children.... (answered by fractalier)
Admissions prices at a high school football game were $6 for adults and $2 for children.... (answered by stanbon)
At the museum, child admission is $5.30 and adult admission is $9.50. On Friday, 142... (answered by ikleyn)
Tickets for a play at the community theater cost $12 for an adult and $4 for a child. If (answered by vasu2qute)
Tickets for a play at the community theater cost $12 for an adult and $4 for a child. If (answered by doukungfoo)