The robotics team needs new uniforms. the students plan to sell plush toy eagles (the school mascot) for $5 each. the students find three companies on-line that sell stuffed mascots. company a sells 16 eagles for $46.08. company b sells 18 eagles for $51.30. company c charges $34.32 for 12 eagles. which company has the best buy?

Since we are buying from the supplier and each supplier sells at a different price, the best way is to put them all on the same level so you can compare them. We will find the price for each plush eagle.  To do that, set up a proportion with the company on the left side, money on the bottom, number of eagles on the top. On the right side, the top will be 1 - the price for 1 eagle. The bottom is x, the price we want to find.

Company A:

16 / $46.08 = 1 / x

16x = 46.08     <by cross multiplying

x = 2.88

For Company A, they charge 2.88 for one eagle.  Now we repeat the process for all the suppliers.

Company B

18 / $51.30 = 1 /x

18x = 51.30

x = 2.85

Company C:

12 / $34.32 = 1 / x

12x = 34.32

x = 2.86

Let's compare our three companies based on a common thing, price per eagle.

Name                       Price Per Eagle

Company A              $2.88

Company B              $2.85

Company C              $2.86

The lowest is Company B and that will be our supplier. The school makes the most money from them since they are the least expensive.

Therefore Company B is the best buy.

step-by-step explanation:

first, eliminate the parenthesis:

3

x

+

2

−

4

x

second, group like terms:

3

x

−

4

x

+

2

third, combine like terms:

(

3

−

4

)

x

+

2

→

−

1

x

+

2

→

−

x

+

2