Question

You are selling lemonade for $1.50, a bag of kettle corn for $3, and a hot dog for $2.50. How do you write and simplify an expression for the amount of money you receive when `p` people buy one of each item?

Answer 1

`7p`

Explanation:

Let the number of people be `p`

The amount received from the people buying ONE of each item is written as:

Money received = `1.5xxp + 3xxp +2.5xxp`

=`1.5p +3p + 2.5p = 7p`

Or you can work it out according to the money that each one of the people spent.

Cost of one lemonade, one bag and one hot dog
= `1.5+3+2.5 = 7`

Money received from `p` people = `7xxp = 7p`

Although the two answers are the same, each method uses a different way of thinking.