document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=927444>Question 927444</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> A vendor sells hot dogs, bags of potato chips, and soft drinks. A customer buys 5 hot dogs, 2 bags of potato chips, and 4 soft drinks for $16.50. The price of hot dogs is $2.00 more than the price of a bag of potato chips. The cost of a soft drink is $4.25 less than the price of two hot dogs. Find the cost of each item.  </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #562969 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Stitch><B>Stitch(470)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-10.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Stitch><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=562969\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Let A = Cost of hot dogs.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Let B = Cost of potato chips<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Let C = Cost of a soft drink<BR>\n" );
document.write( "------------------------<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Equation 1:<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=5A+%2B+2B+%2B+4C+=+16.5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"5A+%2B+2B+%2B+4C+=+16.5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Customers order<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Equation 2:<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=A+-+2+=+B ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"A+-+2+=+B\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > A hotdog is $2 more than a bag of chips<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Equation 3: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=C+=+2A+-+4.25 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"C+=+2A+-+4.25\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > A soft drink is $4.25 less than 2 hot dogs<BR>\n" );
document.write( "------------------------<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Notice that all three equations contain an \"A\" variable.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "I wrote the equations so that they were already written in terms of A.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Now plug (A-2) into equation 1 for B. Also use (2A - 4.25) for C<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Equation 1:<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=5A+%2B+2B+%2B+4C+=+16.5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"5A+%2B+2B+%2B+4C+=+16.5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=5A+%2B+2%2A%28A-2%29+%2B+4%2A%282A+-+4.25%29+=+16.5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"5A+%2B+2%2A%28A-2%29+%2B+4%2A%282A+-+4.25%29+=+16.5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Simplify the equation<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=5A+%2B+2A+-+4+%2B+8A+-+17+=+16.5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"5A+%2B+2A+-+4+%2B+8A+-+17+=+16.5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Combine like terms<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=15A+-+21+=+16.5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"15A+-+21+=+16.5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Add 21 to both sides<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=15A+=+37.5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"15A+=+37.5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Divides both sides by 15<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=highlight%28A+=+2.5%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"highlight%28A+=+2.5%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "--------------------------<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Now plug 2.5 into equations 2 & 3 for \"A\" and solve.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Equation 2:<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=A+-+2+=+B ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"A+-+2+=+B\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%282.5%29+-+2+=+B ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%282.5%29+-+2+=+B\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=highlight_green%280.5+=+B%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"highlight_green%280.5+=+B%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "-------------------------<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Equation 3: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=C+=+2A+-+4.25 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"C+=+2A+-+4.25\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=C+=+2%2A%282.5%29+-+4.25 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"C+=+2%2A%282.5%29+-+4.25\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=C+=+5+-+4.25 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"C+=+5+-+4.25\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=highlight%28C+=+0.75%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"highlight%28C+=+0.75%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );