Question

Difficulty: EasySystems of Linear Equations

A bakery sells blueberry muffins for 3eachandchocolatechipmuffinsfor3 each and chocolate chip muffins for 4 each. On Saturday, the bakery sold a total of 50 muffins for $170. How many chocolate chip muffins were sold on Saturday?

Answer: 20

Answer

The bakery sold 20 chocolate chip muffins on Saturday.
Let bb represent the number of blueberry muffins and cc represent the number of chocolate chip muffins sold. Based on the problem text, we construct the system of equations: b+c=50b + c = 50 and 3b+4c=1703b + 4c = 170. From the first equation, b=50cb = 50 - c. Substituting this into the second equation yields 3(50c)+4c=1703(50 - c) + 4c = 170, which expands to 1503c+4c=170150 - 3c + 4c = 170. Simplifying gives 150+c=170150 + c = 170, so c=20c = 20.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Define variables and set up the system of linear equations.
b+c=50b + c = 50 and 3b+4c=1703b + 4c = 170
The total number of muffins sold is 50, and the total revenue from selling blueberry muffins at 3eachandchocolatechipmuffinsat3 each and chocolate chip muffins at 4 each is $170.
2
Substitute b=50cb = 50 - c into the cost equation.
3(50c)+4c=170    150+c=1703(50 - c) + 4c = 170 \implies 150 + c = 170
Substituting bb in terms of cc creates a single-variable linear equation for cc.
3
Solve for cc.
c=20c = 20
Subtracting 150 from both sides gives the exact number of chocolate chip muffins sold.

Key Concept

Solving Systems of Linear Equations by Substitution or Elimination
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