Six pears and three apples cost $3.90. Two pears and five apples cost $3.30. How much does one pear cost?

1 Answer
MeneerNask
Sep 28, 2015

Let's first translate that in "the language".

Explanation:

#6*p+3*a=3.90and2*p+5*a=3.30#
We multiply the second equation (all of it) by 3, because that will also give us the price of 6 pears plus apples (as in the first), and the price difference will only be caused by the different number of apples:

#6*p+15*a=9.90# now subtract the other equation:
#-(6*p+3*a=3.90)#
So: #12*a=6.00->a=0.50# (=price of an apple)

Put this into one of the equations:
#2*p+5*0.50=3.30->2*p=3.30-2.50=0.80->#
#p=0.40# (price of a pear)

Check!
#6*0.40+3*0.50=3.90and2*0.40+5*0.50=3.30#

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