Ashlee C.

asked • 05/25/14

A scarf and a blouse is bought for $37. If the blouse cost $28 more than the scarf, how much did the scarf cost?

Please help :)

Isabella H.

Hi I feel that it may help if you read this one correctly. It says that the blouse needs to cost $28 MORE than the scarf. Not that the blouse IS $28 or anything like that. The way I worked it out is as follows, but bear in mind it may be completely wrong as I am no mathematician.
 
They both add to $37 and we do not know the price of either the scarf or the blouse.  We do, however, need to find the price of the blouse before we can fully work out the cost of the scarf.
 
4.5 + 28 = 32.5
32.5 + 4.5 = 37
Therefore the scarf costs $4.50
 
How I got this answer I'm not really sure. Maybe you can play around with my figures for a while. As I said before it may be TOTALLY wrong but still, It was a bit of fun. 
Have a nice day :)
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05/25/14

Linda C.

I apologize for the answer below I was half asleep when I checked my email this am. 5 am us not the best time to do math. So I will correct the answer below
X = cost of scarf
28 + X = cost of the blouse so
X + 28 + X = 37
2X + 28 = 37
      -28.    -28
2X = 9
Divide both sides by 9
And Isabella was correct the scarf is $4.50
 
Thank you for finding my error. I make them even as a teacher. Lol
I am sorry I did this early and did not read it like I normally would. If I had done that in my 8th grade class I would iwe Isabella a coke. 
 
Thanks for correcting me and I hope the way I set it up as an algebra problem the correct way this time helps.
 
Thanks again and from now in I won't answer questions before my coffee. Lol but teachers make mistakes too and sometimes the fact that we do can help students see that reading the problem too quickly and not paying attention leads to errors.
 
Great job Isabella!
 
Linda
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05/25/14

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Linda C. answered • 05/25/14

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The correct way to work this problem since I misread it earlier. Sorry about that.
 
X = price of the scarf which is what we are looking for
The blouse is $28 more than the scarf together = $37
So blouse = 28 + X
Put both together
X + 28 + X = 37 now combine like terms remembering there is a 1 in front of both X's so
2X + 28 = 37 first step is to do opposite operation with constant which is number without a variable or letter. Opposite of add is subtract and we must do to both sides
 
2X + 28 = 37
      -28.   -28. Which cancels out constant on side with variable
Leaving   2X = 9 which reads as 2 times X = 9
Opposite of times is division so we divide both sides by 2
Leaves a 1 in front of the X which we do not show
So X = $4.50
 
I hope this time done correctly it will help you set up the equation and then solve it. I know in math now setting up the algebraic equation is as important or more important sometimes than getting the correct answer.
 
Have a great day! I apologize for any confusion earlier. I didn't follow my own rule I teach....read the darn question before you try to find the answer!
 
Linda C.
 
 
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