Question

Mrs. Beach bought shells at a gift shop. The red shells (r) were $0.75 each, and the white shells (w) were $0.49 each. The total cost was $4.70 for 8 shells. Later, the clerk forgot how many of each color shell he sold, so he guessed 4 red and 4 white shells. That was 8 shells, but the cost was $4.96. What advice would you give the clerk for his next guess?

Answer 1

Answer: The cost was too high. Since red shells cost more than white shells, the clerk’s next guess should be fewer red shells and more white shells. I would guess 3 red shells and 5 white shells.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

3 red shells equals $2.25 and 5 white shells equal 2.45. Add those together and you get $4.70.
So 3 red and 5 white shells would be the next guess.