Question

Ms. Patel spent $34 to buy a total of 10 packs of M&Ms and paper clips for her students. If the M&M bags were $3 and the paper clips were $4, how many of each did she buy?

Answer 1

Use the elimination method to solve for the variables

Explanation:

First set up your equations with the information you're given:

`3x + 4y = 34 " "` (money spent)
`x + y = 10" "` (number of packs)

Multiply the second line by `-3` in order to cancel out the `x` term.

`-3x - 3y = -30`

Now add the equations together (the `x` terms cancel out)

`3x - 3x + 4y - 3y = 34 - 30`

`y = 34 - 30`

`y = 4`

Now plug this value into the original equation to get your `x` value

`x = 10 - y`

`x = 10 - 4`

`x = 6`

DOUBLE CHECK:

`3(6) + 4(4)`

`= 18 + 16`

`= 34`