The Martins family spent $52.00 on admission for two adults and three children at the zoo.

Question

The Shaw family spent $50.00 on admission for three adults and one child. What was the cost for each adult admission and each child admission?

Answer 1

Let x = cost of an adult ticket and y = cost of a child ticket.  Set upp a system of 2 equations in 2 variables:

 

2x + 3y = 52
3x + 1y = 50  Solve via elimination (multiply second equation by 3)

 

2x + 3y = 52

9x + 3y = 150 subtract the second equation from the first one

 

-7x =-98  solve for x

 

x = 14  Substitute this back into one of the original equations to find y

 

3(14) + y = 50

 

y = 8