Tom and Jerry were at a State Fair. They each got a ticket for the Merry Go Round. Tom got a funnel cake, and Jerry got a churro. Tom had a certificate for $3 off the cost. Jerry paid the rest, which came to $12. Each Merry Go Round ticket was $5, and a funnel cake was $3.50. What equation represents this problem? What was the cost for a churro?

Answer 1

Let x be the cost for a churro.
The cost for a ticket for the Merry Go Round is 5.
Tom paid 5 - 3 = <<5-3=2>>2 dollars for a ticket for the Merry Go Round.
Tom paid 3.5 - 2 = <<3.5-2=1.5>>1.5 dollars for a funnel cake.
So the equation is 1.5 + x = 12.
Therefore, the cost for a churro is x = 12 - 1.5 = $<<12-1.5=10.5>>10.5. Answer: \boxed{10.5}.