Movie Theater Snacks Mystery Solved!

How much does it cost to purchase one bag of popcorn and one drink at the movie theater?

Jacob spends a total of $18.25 on two bags of popcorn and three drinks. Zachary spends a total of $27.50 on four bags of popcorn and two drinks. Can you figure out the cost for purchasing one bag of popcorn and one drink?

Answer:

The cost for purchasing one bag of popcorn and one drink at the movie theater is $9.125.

Let's solve the mystery behind the cost of snacks at the movie theater using a bit of math! First, let's assign some variables:

p = price of one bag of popcorn

q = price of one drink

Given that Jacob spends a total of $18.25 and Zachary spends $27.50, we can create two equations based on the information:

Equation 1: 2p + 3q = 18.25 (Jacob's purchases)

Equation 2: 4p + 2q = 27.50 (Zachary's purchases)

By solving these equations, we can find the individual prices of popcorn and drinks:

Step 1: Multiply Equation 1 by 2 and subtract Equation 2

4p + 6q = 36.5

4p + 2q = 27.5

By subtracting the two equations, we find that q = 4.5

Step 2: Substitute q = 4.5 back into Equation 2

4p + 2(4.5) = 27.5

4p = 27.5 - 9

4p = 18.5

By solving for p, we get p = 4.625

Therefore, the price of one bag of popcorn is $4.625 and the price of one drink is $4.5. The cost of purchasing one bag of popcorn and one drink is $9.125.