Question

jake bought a total of 15 items from the snack bar to share with his friends. each item was either a bag of chips which cost $1.50 each or a hamburger that costs $3.00 each. he spent a total of $28.50. how many hamburgers did he buy?

Explanation:

Step1: Define variables

Let \( x \) be the number of bags of chips and \( y \) be the number of hamburgers. We know two equations: \( x + y = 15 \) (total items) and \( 1.5x + 3y = 28.5 \) (total cost).

Step2: Solve the system of equations

From the first equation, we get \( x = 15 - y \). Substitute this into the second equation:
\( 1.5(15 - y) + 3y = 28.5 \)
\( 22.5 - 1.5y + 3y = 28.5 \)
\( 1.5y = 28.5 - 22.5 \)
\( 1.5y = 6 \)
\( y = \frac{6}{1.5} = 4 \)

Answer:

4