Question

Stacia wanted concert tickets that were selling for $36 each, and then she got a $19 discount. She paid a total of $53 for the tickets. How many tickets did she buy? Identify the operations needed to solve this problem using the equation 36x −19=53
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Answer 1

Start with 36x − 19 = 53, where 36x is the full price and −19 is the discount.

1. Use the inverse of subtraction: add 19 to both sides to isolate 36x.
36x = 53 + 19 = 72

2. Use the inverse of multiplication: divide both sides by 36 to solve for x.
x = 72 ÷ 36 = 2

Check: 36(2) − 19 = 72 − 19 = 53. So she bought 2 tickets.