Math Problem Statement

You’ve gone to a fruit stand to get some fresh produce. You notice that the person in front of you gets 5 apples and 4 oranges for $10.00. You get 5 apples and 5 oranges for $11.00. What is the price for an apple and what is the price for an orange? Solve using elimination method, using a for apples and r for oranges.

Solution

Let the cost of one apple be aa and the cost of one orange be rr. We can represent the problem with the following two equations:

5a + 4r = 10 \tag{1} 5a + 5r = 11 \tag{2}

Step 1: Eliminate one variable

Subtract equation (1) from equation (2):

(5a+5r)(5a+4r)=1110(5a + 5r) - (5a + 4r) = 11 - 10

Simplify:

5r4r=15r - 4r = 1

r=1r = 1

Step 2: Substitute r=1r = 1 into one of the original equations

Substitute r=1r = 1 into equation (1):

5a+4(1)=105a + 4(1) = 10

Simplify:

5a+4=105a + 4 = 10

5a=65a = 6

a=65=1.20a = \frac{6}{5} = 1.20

Final Answer:

The price of an apple is $1.20, and the price of an orange is $1.00.


Would you like a detailed step-by-step breakdown of another method, or do you have any questions? Here are related questions for further exploration:

  1. How would the solution change if the price for 5 apples and 4 oranges was $12 instead of $10?
  2. Can you graphically represent this system of equations to find the solution?
  3. What is the significance of solving this problem using substitution instead of elimination?
  4. How would the system change if you bought 3 apples and 7 oranges instead?
  5. What if there was an error in calculation and one of the totals is rounded? How can we address this?

Tip: When using elimination, always aim to simplify the problem by aligning coefficients for one variable to cancel it out quickly.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Algebra
Systems of Linear Equations
Elimination Method

Formulas

General form of a linear equation: ax + by = c
Elimination method: Subtracting one equation from another to eliminate a variable

Theorems

Basic properties of linear equations

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 8-10