Systems of Equations Word Problems

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A customer at a store paid $64 for 3 large candles and 4 small candles. At the same store, a second customer paid $4 more than the first customer for 1 large candle and 8 small candles. The price of each large candle is the same, and the price of each small candle is the same.

Which system of equations can be used to find the price in dollars of each large candle, x, and each small candle, y?

• 4y = 3x + 64

  8y = x + 68

• 4y = 3x + 64

  8y = x + 60

• 3x + 4y = 64

  x + 8y = 68

• 3x + 4y = 64

  x + 8y = 60

Alexandra finds that she can give 3 haircuts and 2 hair dyes in 315 minutes. Giving 2 haircuts and 4 hair dyes takes 450 minutes.  Which system of equations represents the situation?

• 3x + 2y = 315
  2x + 4y = 450

• 3x + 2y = 450
  2x + 4y = 315

• 2x + 2y = 315
  3x + 4y = 450

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

Your family goes to a restaurant for dinner. There are 6 people in your family. Some order the chicken dinner for $14.80, and some order steak for $17. If the total bill was $91, which system best represents the situation? 

• x + y = 6
  14.80x + 17y = 91

• x + y = 91
  14.80x + 17y = 6

• x + y = 6
  14.80y + 17x = 91

• x + y = 91
  14.80x+ 17y = 6

The talent show committee sold a total of 530 tickets in advance. Student tickets cost $3 each and the adult tickets cost $4 each. If the total receipts were $1740, which system could be used to find how many of each type of ticket were sold?

• S + A = 530
  3S + 4A = 1740

• S + A = 530
  4S + 3A = 1740

• S + A = 1740
  3S + 4A = 530

• S + A = 1740
  4S + 3A = 530

Nancy went to the grocery story.  On Monday she purchased 4 apples and 6 bananas for a total of $13.  On Wednesday she purchased 3 apples and 7 bananas for a total of $13.50.  Which system of equations represents the situation?

• 4x + 6y = 3
  13.5x - 13y = 6

• x + y = 4
  x - y = 6

• 4x + 6y = 13
  3x + 7y = 13.5

• 4x - 6y = 13
  3x - 7y = 13.5

A boy has seven more nickels than quarters. The total value of the coins is $4.90. Which system could be used to find out how many nickels and quarters he has?

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On Monday Joe bought 10 cups of coffee and 5 doughnuts for his office at the cost of $16.50.  It turns out that the doughnuts were more popular than the coffee.  On Tuesday he bought 5 cups of coffee and 10 doughnuts for a total of $14.25.  Which equations could be used to determine the cost of the coffee? 

• 10c + 5d = 14.25
  5c + 10d = 16.50

• 10c + 5d = 16.50
  5c + 10d = 14.25

• c + d = 10
  5c + 10d = 16.50

• c + d = 5
  5c + 10d = 16.50

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.  Which system of equations could be used to find the exact number of dimes and nickels? 

• d + n = 6.60
  .10d + .05n = 80

• d + n = 80
  d + n = 6.60

• d + n = 80
  .10d + .05n = 6.60

• d + n = 80
  .05d + .10n = 6.60