Question

Jim spent $46.16 on some mulch and one shovel. Each bag of mulch costs $3.49 and the shovel cost $14.75. How many bags of mulch did Jim buy? Write and solve an equivalent equation without decimals.

Answer 1

To find the amount he spent on bags of mulch you must take the cost of the shovel away from the total, giving the equation:
46.16-14.75=3.49x
To covert this to whole numbers, multiply by 100
4616-1475=349x
3141=349x
x=9