To determine which paver is the best buy, let's start by establishing the number of pavers Laila will need for each type and calculating their total costs.
Let’s say Laila needs \( x \) paver stones for Paver 2.
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For Paver 1, she needs twice as many as Paver 2: \[ \text{Paver 1 needed} = 2x \]
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For Paver 3, she needs half as many as Paver 2: \[ \text{Paver 3 needed} = \frac{x}{2} \]
Now, let's calculate the total cost for each type of paver:
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Cost of Paver 1: \[ \text{Cost of Paver 1} = 2x \times 1.49 = 2.98x \]
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Cost of Paver 2: \[ \text{Cost of Paver 2} = x \times 2.50 = 2.50x \]
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Cost of Paver 3: \[ \text{Cost of Paver 3} = \frac{x}{2} \times 0.75 = 0.375x \]
Now we need to compare the total costs:
- \( \text{Total cost for Paver 1} = 2.98x \)
- \( \text{Total cost for Paver 2} = 2.50x \)
- \( \text{Total cost for Paver 3} = 0.375x \)
To find the best price, we compare these costs:
- Paver 1: \( 2.98x \)
- Paver 2: \( 2.50x \)
- Paver 3: \( 0.375x \)
Clearly, \( 0.375x < 2.50x < 2.98x \). Therefore, Paver 3 is the cheapest option.
Thus, the best buy is 3.