Your school sold 456 tickets for a high school play. An adult ticket cost $3.50 and a student ticket cost $1. Total tickets sales equaled $1131. How do you write an equation for the ticket sales?

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Answer 1 · 2016-12-31T11:22:22

Let's call the number of adult tickets #A#

Then the number of student tickets will be #456-A#, as they must add up to #456.#

Now total sales are #$1131#. The equation will be:
#Axx$3.50+(456-A)xx$1.00=$1131#, or:

#Axx$3.50+$456-Axx$1.00=$1131#

Re-arrange and subtract #$456# on both sides:

#A($3.50-$1.00)+cancel($456)-cancel($456)=$1131-$456#, or:

#Axx$2.50=$675->A=($675)/($2.50)=270#

Conclusion :
#270# adult tickets were sold, and #456-270=186# student tickets.

Check!
#270xx$3.50+186xx$1.00=$1131#