How do you set up a system of equations for this word problem?

Question

Terry is going to a carnival. There are two plans for purchasing tickets. Terry can pay $15.50 for admission and $0.75 for each ride or she can pay no admission and $1.75 for each ride

Answer 1

Since the only thing that can vary in this problem is the number of rides you decide to ride, let's have x be defined to be the number of rides you ride.

 

So,  Terry's first option (or equation 1) would be:   15.50+0.75x since she pays a fixed rate of 15.50 for admission and pays 0.75 for each ride she wants to ride.

 

 

Her second option requires no fixed rate for admission but 1.75 for each ride, so equation 2 is:   1.75x