Question 1192262
.
You are at the store, and are trying to remember how much bread, meat, and cheese you were supposed to buy. 
The bread costs $3 per loaf, the meat costs $5 per pound, and the cheese costs $2 per pound. 
You know that you are to buy fifteen items, that the total cost will be $51, 
and that you are supposed to purchase one more meat than cheese. 
How many meat do you need to purchase?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


<pre>
x pounds of meat,

(x-1) pounds of cheese and

(15 - x - (x-1)) = 16-2x loaves of bread.


The total money equation is

    3*(16-2x) + 5x + 2*(x-1) = 51.   (1)


Simplify and find x

    48 - 6x + 5x + 2x - 2 = 51

    46 + x = 51

         x = 51 - 46


<U>ANSWER</U>.  5 pounds of meat.


<U>CHECK</U>.  Then the left side of equation (1) is  3*(16-2*5) + 5*5 + 2*(5-1) = 51,

        which is precisely correct.
</pre>

Solved.