document.write( "Question 1098463: I subscribe to the Comic-of-the-Month Club. Each month I can buy any number of the 48 titles offered by the club. The ﬁrst month I bought ﬁve comics for $19.07. The second month I bought two comics for $8.72. The next month I bought six of the club offerings for $22.52. In May I bought three more for $12.17. The club charges a fee for each comic and a handling fee for the entire order. How much would it have cost to buy all 48 titles at the same time \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #712824 by josmiceli(19441) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let $\"+a+\"$ = the price of 1 comic
\n" ); document.write( "Let $\"+b+\"$ = the fee for 1 comic
\n" ); document.write( "Let $\"+c+\"$ = the handling fee/order
\n" ); document.write( "-----------------------------------
\n" ); document.write( "1st month:
\n" ); document.write( "(1) $\"+5%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+%2B+c+=+19.07+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "2nd month:
\n" ); document.write( "(2) $\"+2%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+%2B+c+=+8.72+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "3rd month:
\n" ); document.write( "(3) $\"+6%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+%2B+c+=+22.52+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "May order:
\n" ); document.write( "(4) $\"+3%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+%2B+c+=+12.17+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "-----------------------------
\n" ); document.write( "Multiply both sides of (2) by $\"+3+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "and subtract (3) from (2)
\n" ); document.write( "(2) $\"+6%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+%2B+3c+=+26.16+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "(3) $\"+-6%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+-+c+-+22%2C52+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "---------------------------------
\n" ); document.write( " $\"+2c+=+3.64+\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"+c+=+1.82+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "-----------------
\n" ); document.write( "(1) $\"+5%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+%2B+1.82+=+19.07+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "(1) $\"+5%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+=+17.25+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "and
\n" ); document.write( "(2) $\"+2%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+%2B+1.82+=+8.72+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "(2) $\"+2%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+=+6.9+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "------------------------------
\n" ); document.write( "Multiply both sides of (2) by $\"+2+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "and subtract (2) from (1)
\n" ); document.write( "(1) $\"+5%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+=+17.25+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "(2) $\"+4%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+=+13.8+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "------------------------------
\n" ); document.write( " $\"+a+%2B+b+=+3.45+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "---------------------------
\n" ); document.write( "For all 48 titles ordered at the same time:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"+C+=+48%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+%2B+c+\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"+C+=+48%2A3.45+%2B+1.82+\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"+C+=+165.6+%2B+1.82+\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"+C+=+167.42+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "$167.42 for the order
\n" ); document.write( "------------------------
\n" ); document.write( "check:
\n" ); document.write( "(4) $\"+3%2A%28+a+%2B+b+%29+%2B+c+=+12.17+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "(4) $\"+3%2A3.45+%2B+1.82+=+12.17+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "(4) $\"+10.35+%2B+1.82+=+12.17+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "(4) $\"+12.17+=+12.17+\"$
\n" ); document.write( "OK
\n" ); document.write( "You can check (1), (2), (3)
\n" ); document.write( "---------------------------
\n" ); document.write( "Note that there is no way to separate
\n" ); document.write( " $\"+a+\"$ and $\"+b+\"$ to find what they are,
\n" ); document.write( "but you don't have to to solve the problem.
\n" ); document.write( "Feel free to get another opinion and
\n" ); document.write( "check my math\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "

\n" );