Linear System Word Problems

Homer sells tickets for admission to your school play and collects a total of $104. Admission prices are $6 for adults and $4 for children. He sold 21 tickets total. To solve, I graphed: x + y = 21 6x + 4y = 104 I got an intersection point at (10,11). What does that mean in context of the problem?

• There are 10 adults and 11 children.

• There are 11 adults and 10 children.

• The adults are $10 and the children are $11.

• There are 104 adults and 21 children.

New York City is a popular field trip destination.  This year the senior class at Addison Trail and the senior class at Willowbrook both planned trips there.  The senior class at Addison Trail rented and filled 5 vans and 12 buses with 330 students.  Willowbrook rented and filled 12 vans and 11 buses with 347 students.  Every van had the same number of students in it as did the buses.  How many students can a van carry?  How many students can a bus carry? What should the two equations be for this problem if x = number of students per van and y = number of students per bus?

Some students want to order shirts with their school logo. One company charges $9.65 per shirt plus a setup fee of $43. Another company charges $8.40 per shirt plus a $58 fee. Which equation represents the number of shirts when both companies charge the same amount?

• y = 9.65 + x
  y = 8.40 + x

• y = 9.65x + 43
  y = 8.40x + 58

• y =9.65x
  y = 8.40x

• y = 9.65x - 43
  y = 8.40x - 58

Erin is 3 years younger than twice Alex's age. Their ages combined are 33 years. How old are Alex and Erin. If x=Erin's age and y=Alex's age, choose the system that matches the situation.

• x + y = 33
  y = 2x - 3

• x + y = 33
  x = 2y - 3

• x + y = 33
  x = 3 - 2y

• x + y = 3
  x = 33 - 2y

Dennis mowed his next door neighbor’s lawn for a handful of dimes and nickels, 80 coins in all.  Upon completing the job he counted out the coins and it came to $6.60.  Which system of equations could be used to find the exact number of dimes and nickels? 

• d + n = 6.60
  .10d + .05n = 80

• d + n = 80
  d + n = 6.60

• d + n = 80
  .10d + .05n = 6.60

• d + n = 80
  .05d + .10n = 6.60

Last season two running backs on the Steelers football team rushed a combined total of 1550 yards.  One rushed 4 times as many yards as the other.  Let x and y represent the number of yards each individual player rushed. Which system of equations could be used? 

• x + y = 1550
  y  = 4x

• x + y = 1550
  y = x + 4

• y - x = 1550
  y = 4x

• y = 1550 + x
  y = x + 4

At a restaurant the cost for a breakfast taco and a small glass of milk is $2.10. The cost for 2 tacos and 3 small glasses of milk is $5.15. If a system of equations is written, which would be the correct representation of the 2 variables?

• t: # of tacos
  m: # of glasses of milk

• t: Cost of each taco
  m: Cost of each glass of milk

• t: total cost
  m: # of food items

• t: Cost of each glass of milk
  m: Cost of each taco

Stacy sells art prints for $12 each. Her expenses are $2.50 per print, plus $38 for equipment. Which system of equations represents Stacy's revenues (money earned) and expenses?

• Revenue: y = 12 + 2.5x

  Expense: y = 38

• Revenue: y = 12 + 38x

  Expense: y = 38

• Revenue: y = 12x

  Expense: y = 2.5x + 38

• Revenue: y = 12x

  Expense: y = 2.5 + 38x

Josh is thinking of two numbers. Their sum is -10 and their difference is -2. Which system of equations represents the situation?

• x - y = -10
  x + y = -2

• x = -2
  y = 5

• x + y = -2
  x - y = -10

• x + y = -10
  x - y = -2

• x = 5

• x = 6

• x = 7

• x = 8