Let's break down the cost of each type of paver stone based on the quantities provided:
- Paver 1: Costs $1.49 each.
- Paver 2: Costs $2.50 each. Lila only needs half as many of Paver 2 compared to Paver 1.
- Paver 3: Costs $.75 each. Lila needs twice as many Paver 3 as Paver 1.
Let’s use a variable \( x \) to represent the number of Paver 1 stones she buys.
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Number of Paver 1: \( x \)
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Number of Paver 2: Since Lila only needs half as many Paver 2 as Paver 1, the equation would be:
- \( \frac{x}{2} \)
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Number of Paver 3: Lila needs twice as many Paver 3 as Paver 1, so:
- \( 2x \)
Now we can calculate the total cost for each type of paver based on \( x \):
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Cost for Paver 1: \[ \text{Cost 1} = x \cdot 1.49 \]
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Cost for Paver 2: \[ \text{Cost 2} = \left(\frac{x}{2}\right) \cdot 2.50 = \frac{2.50x}{2} = 1.25x \]
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Cost for Paver 3: \[ \text{Cost 3} = (2x) \cdot 0.75 = 1.50x \]
Now we have the total costs expressed in terms of \( x \):
- Cost for Paver 1: \( 1.49x \)
- Cost for Paver 2: \( 1.25x \)
- Cost for Paver 3: \( 1.50x \)
To determine which is the best price, let's compare these costs:
- Paver 1: \( 1.49x \)
- Paver 2: \( 1.25x \) (cheapest)
- Paver 3: \( 1.50x \)
From this comparison, we can see that Paver 2, at $2.50 each, results in the lowest cost when considering the number of pavers Lila needs to buy.
Thus, the best paver to buy is Paver 2.
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