The Johnsons and the Wilsons went to the Burger Barn for dinner.

The Johnsons bought 2 burger meals and 5 hot dog meals for $46.

The Wilsons bought 5 burger meals and 2 hot dog meals for $52.

When you solve, you get a solution of (8, 6).

What does the 8 mean in context?

What does the 6 mean in context?

Who got the better deal?

1 answer

To solve the problem, we can start by defining the variables based on the given context:

  • Let \( b \) represent the price of one burger meal.
  • Let \( h \) represent the price of one hot dog meal.

From the information given, we can set up the following equations based on the purchases:

  1. For the Johnsons:
    \( 2b + 5h = 46 \) (Equation 1)

  2. For the Wilsons:
    \( 5b + 2h = 52 \) (Equation 2)

To make sense of the solution mentioned, \( (8, 6) \), we need to identify what these numbers represent. Specifically, they represent the values of \( b \) and \( h \).

  • In this context, the solution means:
    • 8 is the price of one burger meal (i.e., \( b = 8 \)).
    • 6 is the price of one hot dog meal (i.e., \( h = 6 \)).

Now, let's determine who got the better deal:

  1. Johnsons' Total Cost:

    • For 2 burger meals and 5 hot dog meals: \[ \text{Total} = 2(8) + 5(6) = 16 + 30 = 46 \] This confirms their total cost matches the given information.
  2. Wilsons' Total Cost:

    • For 5 burger meals and 2 hot dog meals: \[ \text{Total} = 5(8) + 2(6) = 40 + 12 = 52 \] This confirms their total cost matches the given information.

To find out who got the better deal, we can calculate the cost per meal for both families:

  • Johnsons:

    • Total meals = 2 burgers + 5 hot dogs = 7 meals.
    • Cost per meal = \( \frac{46}{7} \approx 6.57 \).
  • Wilsons:

    • Total meals = 5 burgers + 2 hot dogs = 7 meals.
    • Cost per meal = \( \frac{52}{7} \approx 7.43 \).

Conclusion: The Johnsons got the better deal since they paid approximately $6.57 per meal, compared to the Wilsons who paid approximately $7.43 per meal.