Mitchell spends $100.00 on books, five of which are hardcover and the remaining four are paperback. The prices at the bookstore are based on whether the book is hardcover or paperback. It charges $2.00 less for paperback books than hardcover books. What is the price for hardcover books?
Let x be the price for hardcover books.
Then the price for paperback books is x - $2.
Mitchell spent $100.00 on books, so we can write the equation:
5x + 4(x - $2) = $100.00
Simplifying:
5x + 4x - $8 = $100.00
9x - $8 = $100.00
9x = $108.00
x = $12.00
Therefore, the price for hardcover books is $12.00.