Question 2·200 Super-Hard SAT Math Questions·Algebra
A community center has a budget of $5,000 to buy meal kits for a program. The center will buy two types of kits:
- Standard kits cost $12.50 each.
- Deluxe kits cost $22 each.
To meet program requirements, the center must buy at least 280 total kits, and the number of standard kits must be at least twice the number of deluxe kits.
Which choice is the maximum number of deluxe kits the center can buy while meeting all requirements?
Translate each condition into an inequality, then remember that “maximum of one variable” problems usually work by making the other variable as small as possible. Here, must satisfy two different lower bounds ( and ), so use and figure out which bound controls near the maximum. Substitute that minimum into the budget inequality, solve for , and take the greatest integer that still works.
Hints
Define variables
Let be the number of standard kits and be the number of deluxe kits. Translate each requirement into an inequality.
Think about maximizing deluxe kits
To make as large as possible, you generally want as small as the rules allow. What two lower bounds do you have for ?
Check which bound on matters
Compare and . For large , which expression is larger, and what does that imply for the minimum possible ?
Use the budget last
Substitute the minimum possible into the budget inequality and solve for . Don’t forget must be a whole number.
Desmos Guide
Graph the boundary lines
Let (deluxe) and (standard). Graph these lines:
Shade the feasible region with inequalities
Enter the inequalities:
Also consider only the first quadrant (, ).
Find the rightmost feasible point
Look at the shaded overlap region and identify the point(s) with the greatest -value. Use intersections and zoom as needed to see the boundary clearly.
Interpret the result as a whole number of kits
The maximum number of deluxe kits is the greatest integer that still lies in the overlap region (since you can’t buy a fraction of a kit).
Step-by-step Explanation
Write the constraints
Let be the number of standard kits and be the number of deluxe kits.
- Budget:
- Minimum total kits:
- Requirement on standard kits:
Also, and are nonnegative integers.
Express the smallest possible for a given
To make as large as possible, you want as small as allowed.
For a given , must satisfy both and , so the smallest possible is
Find where the controlling minimum changes
Determine when is at least :
So for , the smallest allowed is (and the total-kits requirement is automatically satisfied).
Use the budget to cap and choose the greatest integer
In the maximizing region (), set in the budget inequality:
Since must be an integer, the maximum possible value is 106, which corresponds to kits and stays within the budget.