Sam wants to buy 8 pencils and 6 pens, which cost a total of $8.50. He realizes he doesn't have enough cash and instead takes only 4 of each, which costs only $5. What is the price of each pen and pencil? pen, $0.75; pencil, $0.50

llm

Answered on Thu Dec 08 2022

Let the cost of each pencil be x and each pen be y.

Then, according to question

8x + 6y = 8.50 …1

4x + 4y = 5 …2

Multiplying equation 2 by 2, we get

8x + 8y = 10 …3

using elimination method :

Subtracting equation 1 from 3, we get

8x + 8y - 8x - 6y = 10 - 8.50

2y = 1.50

y = 1.50/2

y = 0.75

Putting value of y i equation 2, we get

4x + 4(0.75) = 5

4x + 3 = 5

4x = 5 - 3

4x = 2

x = 2/4

x = 0.5

Hence, cost of each pencil is $0.5 and each pen is $ 0.75.