Question

Alejandro bought $3.50 worth of pencils and erasers at the school store. Pencils cost $0.50 apiece, and erasers cost $0.75 apiece. Which equation written in standard form represents the number of pencils, p, and the number of erasers, e, that Alejandro bought?

0.75e = 3.50 – 0.50p
0.50p + 0.75e = 3.50
3e = 14 – 2p
2p + 3e = 14

Answer 1

Pencils: $0.50p$, Erasers: $0.75e$, total $3.50$ gives 0.50p + 0.75e = 3.50. Multiply by 4 to clear decimals: 2p + 3e = 14. So the correct equation is 2p + 3e = 14.