Need a formula to solve this problem.

H

Hyoh

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Aug 5, 2021
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My problem says there are 18 total people that got either a sandwich or a soup. The sandwich is $7.75 and the soup is $4.50. The total cost 113.50. How many of each were bought. I can do the math, I just have no idea what formula to use. Please help :'(
 
There is no "formula" as such.
Let a be the number of people who got a sandwich.
Let b be the number of people who got soup.

There are 18 people in total. Write an equation involving a, b and 18.
The sandwich is $7.75 and the soup is $4.50. The total cost 113.50. Write another equation involving a and b.
 
Hyoh said:
My problem says there are 18 total people that got either a sandwich or a soup. The sandwich is $7.75 and the soup is $4.50. The total cost 113.50. How many of each were bought. I can do the math, I just have no idea what formula to use. Please help :'(
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I mean this very kindly. You WRONGLY seem to think that “doing” math means doing arithmetic on a pre-defined formula. That is mechanics that computers can, and do, do. Doing math is a human process involving creative thought. Sometimes that creative thought is as simple as identifying which formula applies, but most of the time it involves creating such a formula on your own. Teachers who treat math as a set of formulas to memorize are horrible teachers.

We ask in our guidelines that you give us some indication of what topic in math you are currently studying. You posted this problem in probability and statistics. It has nothing to do with that branch of mathematics. What are you currently studying in math class?
 
JeffM said:
I mean this very kindly. You WRONGLY seem to think that “doing” math means doing arithmetic on a pre-defined formula. That is mechanics that computers can, and do, do. Doing math is a human process involving creative thought. Sometimes that creative thought is as simple as identifying which formula applies, but most of the time it involves creating such a formula on your own. Teachers who treat math as a set of formulas to memorize are horrible teachers.

We ask in our guidelines that you give us some indication of what topic in math you are currently studying. You posted this problem in probability and statistics. It has nothing to do with that branch of mathematics. What are you currently studying in math class?
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Currently not in a math class. Studying for my tsi test for college. However, I do remember learning this senior year and there was a formula or something I used for problems like this that worked every time. Also, I put this hear because I have no idea what category this type of question even fits in :/ sorry not sorry, just needed help desperately and still can't do it, so I'll just kms
 
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