Did you know?
Did you know that algebra can help us solve real-life problems, like budgeting for nuts? Suppose almonds cost $8 per pound and cashews cost $10 per pound. If Tamira has $60 to spend, we can use algebra to find out what she can buy.
If Tamira decides to buy only cashews, the equation would be: 10x = 60, where x represents the amount of cashews in pounds. By dividing both sides by 10, we find that x = 6. Tamira can buy 6 pounds of cashews.
On the other hand, if she chooses to buy only almonds, the equation would be: 8y = 60, where y represents the amount of almonds in pounds. Dividing both sides by 8, we discover that y = 7.5. Since Tamira can't buy half a pound, she can only buy whole numbers of pounds. Therefore, she can buy 7 pounds of almonds.
Finally, let's consider a mixture of both almonds and cashews. We can represent the amount of almonds in pounds as y and the amount of cashews as x. The equation would be: 8y + 10x = 60. Since we don't have enough information to find specific values for y and x, we know that there are infinite combinations of almonds and cashews that result in a total cost of $60.
So, if Tamira chooses a mixture of almonds and cashews, the total weight can vary depending on the specific prices of each nut. Algebra helps us explore the different possibilities and make informed choices based on our budget.
