SOLUTION: Steve purchased tickets to a circus for 7 adults and 2 children. The total cost was $172. The cost of a child's ticket was $4 less than the cost of an adult's ticket. Find the pric
Question 101783: Steve purchased tickets to a circus for 7 adults and 2 children. The total cost was $172. The cost of a child's ticket was $4 less than the cost of an adult's ticket. Find the price of an adult's ticket and a child's ticket. Answer by doukungfoo(195) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Ok first lets set the adult ticket price equal to x
adult ticket price = x
Now define the cost of a child's ticket in terms of x
Given: child's ticket is $4 less than cost of an adult ticket
child ticket price = x-4
Ok now lets look at what else the problem tells us
Given: 7 adult tickets and 2 child tickets cost a total of $172
so what does this tell us?
7 times the cost of an adult ticket plus 2 times the cost of a child's ticket equals $172
Now remembering that we have already stated that adult ticket price = x
and child ticket price = x-4
we can write an equation to solve for x
7(adult ticket price) + 2(child ticket price) = 172
7x + 2(x-4) = 172
7x + 2x -8 = 172
9x -8 = 172
9x = 180
x = 20 Answer: Adult ticket price is $20.00
Now we can use this to find the child's ticket price
child ticket price = x-4
child ticket price = 20-4
child ticket price = 16 Answer: Child ticket price is $16.00
Check both answers in the orginal equation
7(adult ticket price) + 2(child ticket price) = 172
7(20) + 2(16) = 172
140 + 32 = 172
172 = 172
