Question

Your school sold 456 tickets for a high school play. An adult ticket cost $3.50 and a student ticket cost $1. Total tickets sales equaled $1131. How do you write an equation for the ticket sales?

Answer 1

Let's call the number of adult tickets `A`

Explanation:

Then the number of student tickets will be `456-A`, as they must add up to `456.`

Now total sales are `$1131`. The equation will be:
`Axx$3.50+(456-A)xx$1.00=$1131`, or:

`Axx$3.50+$456-Axx$1.00=$1131`

Re-arrange and subtract `$456` on both sides:

`A($3.50-$1.00)+cancel($456)-cancel($456)=$1131-$456`, or:

`Axx$2.50=$675->A=($675)/($2.50)=270`

Conclusion :
`270` adult tickets were sold, and `456-270=186` student tickets.

Check!
`270xx$3.50+186xx$1.00=$1131`