Question

At a school supply store, binders cost $5 and pencil pouches cost $2. In one day, 42 of these items are sold for total sales of $144. Which system represents this (b represents binders and p represents pencil pouches), and how many binders were sold?

Answer 1

Part 1) The system of equations that represent this situation is equal to

b+p=42 and 5b+2p=144

Part 2) 20 binders were sold

Explanation:

Let

b -----> the number of binders sold

p -----> the number of pencil pouches sold

Part 1)

we know that

The system of equations that represent this situation is equal to

b+p=42

5b+2p=144

Part 2) How many binders were sold?

we have

b+p=42

p=42-b ------> equation A

5b+2p=144 -----> equation B

substitute equation A in equation B

5b+2(42-b)=144

5b+84-2b=144

3b=144-84

3b=60

b=20 binders