Ellen buys 6 more paperbacks than hard covers. Paperbacks cost $8 each and hard covers cost $15 each. If Ellen spends a total of $117 on the books, how many of each type does she buy? Give a complete algebraic solution, using the distributive property.
p = h+6, so
8(h+6) + 15h = 117
8h + 48 + 15h = 117
23p = 69
p=3
so, 3 paperbacks, 9 hardbacks