Step Inequalities Word Problems

Silvia needs at least $100 to buy a graphing calculator for her math class. Her neighbor will pay her $5 per hour to babysit and her parents gave her $10 for mowing the lawn. AT LEAST how many hours will Silvia need to babysit?

Mrs. Cooper joined a gym for a monthly fee of $20.  She has a budget of NO MORE THAN $100 per month.  She wants to take yoga classes that cost $10.  How many yoga classes can she take and stay within her budget?

Top Golf charges $12 for each hour and you also want an order of wings for $9. You can spend AT MOST $60. AT MOST how many hours can you play Top Golf? Hint: Your answer will have a decimal.

Martin had $25 to spend at the fair. If the admission to the fair is $4 and the rides cost $1.50 each, AT MOST how many rides can Martin go on?

It costs $15 to enter an amusement park and $2.50 to play each game. AT MOST how many games can Jay play if he has $45 to spend at the park?

Answer explanation

AT MOST gets the inequality symbol ≤, g for games is your variable, $2.50 gets the variable, $15 is being added, and your total is $45.

Lazer Zone charges $15 to get in plus $6 per person. If Sarah has a MAXIMUM of $111 to spend, how many people can Sarah invite to play laser tag?

Answer explanation

MAXIMUM gets the inequality symbol ≤, p for people is your variable, $6 gets the variable, $15 is being added, and your total is $111.

The vet told Sarah that her dog should weigh at most 70 pounds. Her dog weighs 106

pounds, so Sarah set a goal that he would lose 4 pounds per week. How many weeks

will it take for Sarah’s dog to weigh 70 pounds or less?

Mathematical Equivalence

ON

The volleyball team at Grady High School raised $350 to buy a new net, and some

volleyballs. The net costs $180, and each ball costs $17.00. If the team does not want

to exceed the amount of money they raised, how many volleyballs can they buy?

Mathematical Equivalence

ON

Will has -­‐$55.00 in his bank account. If he saves the $2.50 his mom gives him for lunch every day, how many days will it be until he has a balance of at least $0?

Mathematical Equivalence

ON

Lea needs at least $240 to buy new headphones. She has already saved $30. She earns $14 per car that she washes. What is the least number of cars she can wash to buy the headphones? Write the inequality to the problem.

• 14x+30 ≥ 240

• 14x+30 ≤ 240

• 30x+14 ≥ 240

• 30x+14 ≤ 240