SOLUTION: Vanessa bought some roses at smiths. Yellow roses cost $3.50/ea and red roses cost $5.50/ea. She ended up buying 12 roses for a total of $52. How many of each color did she buy?

Algebra ->  Coordinate Systems and Linear Equations  -> Linear Equations and Systems Word Problems -> SOLUTION: Vanessa bought some roses at smiths. Yellow roses cost $3.50/ea and red roses cost $5.50/ea. She ended up buying 12 roses for a total of $52. How many of each color did she buy?      Log On


   

Question 1092865: Vanessa bought some roses at smiths. Yellow roses cost $3.50/ea and red roses cost $5.50/ea. She ended up buying 12 roses for a total of $52. How many of each color did she buy?
Answer by josmiceli(19441) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let +a+ = number of red roses
Let +b+ = number of yellow roses
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(1) +a+%2B+b+=+12+
(2) +3.5a+%2B+5.5b+=+52+
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Multiply both sides of (1) by +3.5+
and subtract (1) from (2)
(2) +3.5a+%2B+5.5b+=+52+
(1) +-3.5a+-+3.5b+=+-42+
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+2b+=+10+
+b+=+5+
and
(1) +a+%2B+5+=+12+
(1) +a+=+7+
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7 red roses
5 yellow roses