Question

A vending machine sells chips at $0.65 and candy at $0.75. Last month, the vending machine yielded $243.80 with the sale of 350 items.

Let x be the number of chips sold and y the number of candies. How many packages of chips were purchase last month?

Answer 1

The first thing we need to do is to assign variables. Let
`x` represent the number of chips sold and let
`y` represent the number of candies sold. Now we can write two equations.


`0.65x+0.75y=243.80`

`x+y=350`

Let's simplify our first equation by multiplying the whole equation by 100.


`65x+75y=24380`

We can solve for
`x` in the second equation and we get
`x=350-y`.

Now we can substitute the value of
`x` into the first equation.


`65(350-y)+75y=24380`

`22750-65y+75y=24380`

`22750+10y=24380`

`10y=1630`

`y=163`

Now we can substitute the value of
`y` into the second equation.


`x+163=350`

`x=187`

Therefore the number of chips sold is 187.