Answer: 166 adult tickets and 294 children tickets were sold.
Step-by-step explanation:
Let x represent the number of adult tickets that were sold.
Let y represent the number of children tickets that were sold.
The ticket prices for a recent play were $52 for adults and $26 for children. If the total proceeds were $16,276 for a sold-out matinee, it means that
52x + 26y = 16276- - - - - - - - - 1
The theater contains 460 seats. Since it was a sold-out matinee, it means that
x + y = 460
Substituting x = 460 - y into equation 1, it becomes
52(460 - y) + 26y = 16276
23920 - 52y + 26y = 16276
- 52y + 26y = 16276 - 23920
- 26y = - 7644
y = - 7644/- 26
y = 294
x = 460 - y = 460 - 294
x = 166