How do you do it

Question

The school that Stefan goes to is selling tickets to a choral performance. On the first day of ticket sales the school sold 3 senior citizen tickets and 1 child ticket for a total of $38. The school took in $52 on the second day by selling 3 senior citizen tickets and 2 child tickets. Find the price of a senior citizen ticket and the price of a child ticket.

Answer 1

Yulonda, First identify the quantities involved.

Let s = price of senior ticket

Let c = price of child ticket

Next, Translate the words into equations

Translate “3 senior tickets and 1 child ticket” into “3s + c“

Translate “for a total of $38” into “=38”

Put them together

3s+c=38

 

Translate “took in $52 by selling three senior and two child tickets” into “52 =3s + 2c”

 

Now you have two equations in two unknowns

 

3s+   c =38

3s+ 2c = 52

 

can you solve them?

Answer 2

 

3S + C = 38 <--- 1st day

 

3S + 2C = 52 <--- 2nd day

 

Subtracts the first equation FROM the second equation:

 

(3S + 2C) - (3s + C) = 52 - 38

 

3S + 2C - 3S - C = 52 - 38

 

C = 14

 

child ticket costs $14

 

Plugging into the first equation

3S + C = 38

3s + 14 = 38

3S = 38-14

3S = 24

S = 24/3 = 8

 

Senior citizen ticket costs $8