Question

Four pine seedling and 3 fir seedlings cost 29.00. Two pine seedlings and 7 fir seedlings cost $42.00 Determine the cost of each type of seedling.

Answer 1

p=price of pine
f=price of fir

So:
4p+3f=29
2p+7f=42

Answer 2

Now its a system of equations you can solve

Answer 3

Yes, and what do i do from there?

Answer 4

Well to solve it you wanna eliminate one of the variables when you add the equations together, so lets multiply the bottom one by -2

4p+3f=29
-4p-14f=-84

Add the two equations together:

-11f=-55

Now you can solve for f

Answer 5

Why are we mulitpying the bottom by two?

Answer 6

It's -2 and thats so that when we add the two equations together, one of the variables will cancel out, that way well have only one variable so we can solve

Answer 7

Ohhh, I got it! I was so lost! Thanks! Can I do one more problem with you and can you see if I did it correctly?

Answer 8

Don't you wanna finish this one? What'd you get for the price of a fir seedling?

Answer 9

Sure, okay, give me a couple seconds and I'll send it your way. :)

Answer 10

Okay, I got a weird answer...I got 11 for the pine seedlings and -5 for fir seedlings. What did I do wrong?

Answer 11

The equation for the fir was -11f=-55
divide both sides by -11 and you get 5. So that was right except for the negative sign.

Since you know f is 5, you plug that into one of the original equations and solve for p

Answer 12

Okay, I got 3,50 for the only one.Correct? :)

Answer 13

Yep so fir=$5 and pine=$3.50

Answer 14

@CalebBeavers

Answer 15

Got it?

Answer 16

Yessir! Thanks! :)

Answer 17

You're welcome