A bakery sells small muffins for $1.25 each and large muffins for $2.75 each. If the bakery earns a total of $235 from selling small muffins and large muffins, which equation represents this situation?
A sales total can be written as a two-variable linear equation: each kind of item contributes one part of the total. Multiply each price per item by the letter counting that item, then add the two amounts. Before choosing, check that the prices haven't been switched and that neither kind's earnings have been subtracted.
Hints
- Hint 1
A term is one part of an equation. To find the earnings from small muffins, multiply the price of one small muffin by the letter counting how many small muffins were sold. Which letter is that?
- Hint 2
Both kinds of muffins bring in money. Once you've written the earnings from each size, add those amounts to match the bakery's total, rather than subtracting one from the other.
Step-by-step
Match each price to its muffin count
Step 1Find the small-muffin earnings
No Desmos needed. You're building an equation from prices and counts, not solving one. Each small muffin sells for $1.25, and counts small muffins, so their earnings are dollars.
- Step 2
Find the large-muffin earnings
Each large muffin sells for $2.75, and counts large muffins, so their earnings are dollars. Using here would charge the small muffins the large-muffin price.
- Step 3
Match the total earnings
The bakery earns $235 from both sizes, so add their earnings to match that total:
This equation represents the bakery's total muffin earnings. Choice C.