Question two-cu

1.4 Systems of Two Linear Equations - Elimination method
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Two customers purchased the same kind of bread and eggs at a store. The first customer paid 12.45 dollars for 1 loaf of bread and 2 dozen eggs. The second customer paid 19.42 dollars for 4 loaves of bread and 1 dozen eggs. What is the cost, in dollars, of 1 dozen eggs?

A.

3.77

B.

3.88

C.

4.15

D.

4.34

Two customers purchased the same kind of bread and eggs at a store. The first customer

Hard-difficulty · SAT Math · Systems of Two Linear Equations — Elimination method. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

Choice D is correct. Let l represent the cost, in dollars, of 1 loaf of bread, and let d represent the cost, in dollars, of 1 dozen eggs. It’s given that the first customer paid 12.45 dollars for 1 loaf of bread and 2 dozen eggs. Therefore, the first customer’s purchase can be represented by the equation l+2d=12.45. It’s also given that the second customer paid 19.42 dollars for 4 loaves of bread and 1 dozen eggs. Therefore, the second customer’s purchase can be represented by the equation 4l+d=19.42. The equations l+2d=12.45 and 4l+d=19.42 form a system of linear equations, which can be solved by elimination to find the value of d . Multiplying the first equation in the system by -4 yields -4l-8d=-49.8. Adding -4l-8d=-49.8 to the second equation, 4l+d=19.42, yields -4l+4l+-8d+d=-49.8+19.42, which is equivalent to - 7 d = -30.38 . Dividing both sides of this equation by -7 yields d = 4.34 . Therefore, the cost, in dollars, of 1 dozen eggs is 4.34 .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the cost, in dollars, of 1 loaf of bread.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.