Melisande collected 14 bottles on Saturday and 9 bottles on Sunday for recycling. The recycling center pays her a certain amount, b, for each bottle, less a $0.25 administrative fee for each visit. If she was given $3.20 for the bottles, what is the value of b?

Question

imstuck · Answer

Between Saturday and Sunday she collected 23 bottles for recycling.  When she takes them in she is paid b cents per bottle less 25 cents per visit.  She gets $3.20 for her troubles.  How much does she get paid per bottle after the administrative fee?  That is our b:  how much does she get paid per bottle.  So if she has 23 bottles and she gets paid b cents per bottle, she gets paid 23b...that's 23 bottles at b cents.  She has to give up a single quarter for the visit, so you subtract 25 cents.  After she gives up a quarter, she nets $3.20.  here is our equation for that:  23b - .25 = 3.20.  Do you know how to solve that for b?