Expert: Bobby Soltani - 9/3/2006

Question
Q: In an evening, a sporting goods store sold twice as many T-shirts as shorts. T-shirts are $9 each, and shorts are $14. The total amount of many taken in for both items was $256. Find the number of each that was sold.

Q: In how many ways can clerk give a customer 25 cents in change?

P.S. I figured out the answer for the first question, yet i cant figure out how to set-up the right equation....

P.P.S. I hope to get the answer ASAP. Thank you for all your help.

Answer
Hi Tam,

In an evening, a sporting goods store sold twice as many T-shirts as shorts. T-shirts are $9 each, and shorts are $14. The total amount of many taken in for both items was $256. Find the number of each that was sold.

Let the number of t-shirts sold be t, and the number of shorts sold be s.

sold twice as many t-shirts as shorts.
t = 2s

T-shirts are $9 each, and shorts are $14. The total amount of many taken in for both items was $256.
9t + 14s = 256

plug 2s in for t in the second equation.

9(2s) + 14s = 256

18s + 14s = 256

32s = 256

s = 256/32

s = 8

plug 8 in for s in the first equation.

t = 2(8)

t = 16

In how many ways can clerk give a customer 25 cents in change?
Thirteen ways:
1 quarter
2 dimes + 1 nickel
2 dimes + 5 pennies
1 dime + 3 nickels
1 dime + 2 nickels + 5 pennies
1 dime + 1 nickel + 10 pennies
1 dime + 15 pennies
1 nickel + 20 pennies
2 nickels + 15 pennies
3 nickels + 10 pennies
4 nickels + 5 pennies
5 nickels
25 pennies

Let me know if you have any questions.

Bobby