Jack and Ann each bought the came type of pen and notebook in the school bookstore which does not charge sales tax. Jack paid $4.50 for three pens and a notebook, and Ann paid $5.50 for one pen and three notebooks. How much does the school bookstore charge for one notebook?

Answer 1

Let's start by finding the cost of one pen.

Jack paid $4.50 for three pens and a notebook, so he spent:

- $4.50 - cost of 1 notebook = cost of 3 pens
- $4.50 - cost of 1 notebook = 3p

Ann paid $5.50 for one pen and three notebooks, so she spent:

- $5.50 - (3 x cost of 1 notebook) = cost of 1 pen
- $5.50 - (3 x cost of 1 notebook) = p

Now we can set these two equations equal to each other and solve for the cost of one pen:

3p = p + 2.00
2p = 2.00
p = $1.00

So one pen costs $1.00.

Now we can use this information to find the cost of one notebook:

Jack spent $4.50 on three pens and a notebook, so:

- 3 pens at $1.00 each = $3.00
- $4.50 - $3.00 = $1.50 for one notebook

Ann spent $5.50 on one pen and three notebooks, so:

- 1 pen at $1.00 = $1.00
- $5.50 - $1.00 = $4.50 for three notebooks
- $4.50 ÷ 3 notebooks = $1.50 for one notebook

So the school bookstore charges $1.50 for one notebook.