Question

Apples sell for $1.90 per pound, and bananas sell for $0.75 per pound. Troy bought some apples and some bananas. Together they weighed 3.8 pounds, and cost $5.84. Let p represent the number of pounds of apples Troy purchased. Which equation represents the problem described here?
A. 1.15p + 2.85 = 3.8

B. 1.9p + 0.75 = 3.8

C. 1.15p + 2.85 = 5.84

D. –1.15p + 2.85 = 5.84

Answer 1

Answer:

  C.  1.15p + 2.85 = 5.84

Step-by-step explanation:

The equation above is not one you'd start off with to represent this problem. It is an intermediate step in the solution.

You can get there by realizing that the number of pounds of bananas is 3.8-p. Then the cost of the bananas is ...

  banana cost = 0.75·(3.8-p) = 2.85 - 0.75p

Of course, the cost of apples is 1.90p. The total cost is then ...

  apple cost + banana cost = total cost

  1.90p + (2.85 -0.75p) = 5.84

Simplifying, this becomes ...

  1.15p + 2.85 = 5.84 . . . . . . . . . . . . matches selection C