tickets for a school lottery are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. The school sold 300 tickets in total and the amount of money taken in was $528.00.

Question

How many people bought only a single ticket?

Answer 1

Let x = # individual tickets sold at $2 each

let y = # of 3-ticket sales sold at $5 each

 

x + 3y = 300

2x+ 5y = 528

 

Use substitution or elimination to solve

Since x = 300-3y

2(300-3y) + 5y = 528

600-6y+5y=528

72 = y

x = 300-3(72) = 300-216 = 84

 

84 people bought single tickets

72 people bought 3 tickets

 

72(3) + 84 = 216+84 = 300 tickets sold