Question

At a store, you are interested in purchasing a candy bar and a piece of bubble gum. Together, they cost $2.00. The candy bar costs a dollar more than the bubble gum. How much does the piece of bubble gum cost, in cents?

Answer 1

Let the cost of the piece of bubble gum be \( x \) cents. Then, since the candy bar costs a dollar more than the bubble gum, the cost of the candy bar would be \( x + 100 \) cents.

According to the problem, the total cost of the candy bar and the bubble gum is 200 cents. We can express this with the following equation:

\[
x + (x + 100) = 200
\]

Now, simplify the equation:

\[
2x + 100 = 200
\]

Next, subtract 100 from both sides:

\[
2x = 100
\]

Now, divide by 2:

\[
x = 50
\]

Thus, the cost of the piece of bubble gum is \( x = 50 \) cents.

To verify, if the bubble gum costs 50 cents, then the candy bar costs:

\[
50 + 100 = 150 \text{ cents}
\]

Adding these together gives:

\[
50 + 150 = 200 \text{ cents}
\]

This is consistent with the given total of $2.00. Therefore, the cost of the piece of bubble gum is

\[
\boxed{50} \text{ cents}.
\]