Solving for Unknown Word Problems

Caitlin won a bag full of money! She has 49 bills in all. She counts $1430. There are twenty dollar bills and fifty dollar bills. How many of each bill does Caitlin have?  Which system best represents the situation? 

• x + y = 1430
  20x + 50y = 49

• x + y = 49
  10x + 5y = 1430 

• x + y = 49
  20x + 50y = 1430

• x + y = 49
  x + y = 1430

Two brothers went shopping at a back-to-school sale where all shirts and shorts were the same price. The younger brother spent $175 on 7 new shirts and 7 pairs of shorts. The older brother purchased 6 new shirts and 7 pairs of shorts and paid a total of $165. How much did one shirt cost?

• $5

• $10

• $15

• $20

The sum of Mr. Micklow and Ms. Craft's age is 55.  The difference is 3.  
Solve:
x + y = 55
x - y = 3

• (26, 23)

• (26, 29)

• (29, 26)

• (29, 32)

Amy sold 10 packages of sugar cookies and 2 packages of oatmeal cookies for $56. Adam sold 9 packages of sugar cookies and 3 packages of oatmeal cookies for $60. What is the price of 1 pack of sugar cookies and 1 pack of oatmeal cookies?

• Sugar Cookies $5 
  Oatmeal Cookies $3

• Sugar Cookies $4
  Oatmeal Cookies $8

• Sugar Cookies $2
  Oatmeal Cookies $6

• Sugar Cookies $3
  Oatmeal Cookies $6

Dennis mowed his next door neighbor’s lawn for a handful of dimes and nickels, 80 coins in all.  Upon completing the job he counted out the coins and it came to $6.60.  How many nickels and dimes did Dennis earn? 

• 40 nickels, 40 dimes

• 52 nickels, 28 dimes

• 28 nickels, 52 dimes

• 30 nickels, 50 dimes

The difference of a and b is 3. The sum of the variables is 13. Find the numbers.

• a = 7
  b = 10

• a = 8
  b = 5

• a = 10
  b = 13

At a restaurant the cost for a breakfast taco and a small glass of milk is $2.10. The cost for 2 tacos and 3 small glasses of milk is $5.15. If a system of equations is written, which would be the correct representation of the 2 variables?

• t: # of tacos

  m: # of glasses of milk

• t: Cost of each taco

  m: Cost of each glass of milk

• t: total cost

  m: # of food items

• t: Cost of each glass of milk

  m: Cost of each taco

The sum of Mr. Micklow and Ms. Craft's age is 55.  The difference is 3.  Which system of equations represents the situation?

• 2x + 3y = 55
  2x + 5y = 3

• x + y = 55
  x - y = 3

• x + y = 3
  x - y = 55

Flagship Cinemas sells movie tickets that are $4 for matinees and $7 for regular. One night, the theater sells 578 tickets and collects $3365 in total ticket sales.
Which system best represents the situation?

• 4x + 7y = 578
  x + y = 3365

• 4x + 7y = 3365
  x + y = 578

• 4y + 7x = 578
  x + y = 3365

• 4y + 7x = 3365
  x + y = 578