SOLUTION: I am having trouble setting these kinds of problems up please show me. Sally bought three suckers and a bubble gum for $1.75 Jack bought two suckersand four bubble gums for $2.00

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Finance -> SOLUTION: I am having trouble setting these kinds of problems up please show me. Sally bought three suckers and a bubble gum for $1.75 Jack bought two suckersand four bubble gums for $2.00       Log On

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Question 60655: I am having trouble setting these kinds of problems up please show me.
Sally bought three suckers and a bubble gum for $1.75 Jack bought two suckersand four bubble gums for $2.00 what is the cost of each sucker and bubble gum? THANK YOU IF YOU CAN EXLPAIN THIS WHERE ICAN UNDERSTAND IT.

Answer by uma(370) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let the cost of 1 sucker be $x
Let the cost of 1 bubblegum be $y
Cost of 3 suckers and 1 bubblegum = $1.75
==> 3x + 1y = 1.75 ------------------(1)
Cost of 2 suckers and 4 bubblegums = $2
==> 2x + 4y = 2 -----------------(2)
12x + 4y = 7 [(1) multiplied by 4]
Subtracting the above two equations we have,
- 10x = -5
==> -10x/-10 = -5/-10
==> x = 1/2
Plugging in this in (2) we get..
2(1/2) + 4y = 2
==> 1 + 4y = 2
==> 4y = 2 - 1 (subtracting 1 from either side)
==> 4y = 1
==> 4y/4 = 1/4
==> y = 1/4
Thus the cost of a sucker = 1/2 or $0.5 and the cost of a bubblegum = 1/4 or $0.25


Good Luck!!!