# Math Help - Algebra word problem

1. ## Algebra word problem

At the neighborhood fruit market, cherries are priced at 2 lbs. for $3.50 and strawberries are priced at 3lbs. for$4.71. Cheryl bought 3lbs of cherries and 4 lbs. of strawberries. If the sales tax is 2%, how much change did Cheryl get from a $20 bill? round to the nearest cent. 2. Originally Posted by chellyluv At the neighborhood fruit market, cherries are priced at 2 lbs. for$3.50 and strawberries are priced at 3lbs. for $4.71. Cheryl bought 3lbs of cherries and 4 lbs. of strawberries. If the sales tax is 2%, how much change did Cheryl get from a$20 bill? round to the nearest cent.
First, find the price of cherries and strawberries per pound.

2 lbs of cherries = $3.50 = 350 cents 1 lb of cherry = $\frac{350}{2} = 175$cents =$1.75

3 lbs of strawberries = $4.71 = 471 cents 1 lb of strawberries = $\frac{471}{3} = 157$ cents =$1.57

So, she buys 3 lbs of cherries and 4 lbs of strawberries to pay:

$(3 \times 1.75) + (4 \times 1.57) = 5.25+ 6.28 = 11.53$

Add a 2% tax to this amount:

$11.53 + [ \frac{2}{100} \times 11.53 ] = 11.7606$

Note: 2% tax on $11.53 = $\frac{2}{100} \times 11.53 = 0.23$ . This is the tax that she pays(23 cents) Rounding off to the nearest cents gives you:$11.76

So she gives a $20 bill means she gets back,$20.00 - $11.76 =$8.24

3. Originally Posted by chellyluv
At the neighborhood fruit market, cherries are priced at 2 lbs. for $3.50 and strawberries are priced at 3lbs. for$4.71. Cheryl bought 3lbs of cherries and 4 lbs. of strawberries. If the sales tax is 2%, how much change did Cheryl get from a \$20 bill? round to the nearest cent.
Edit: Moving a bit slow these days.

Hi chellyluv,

This is more of an arithmetic problem, than it is an algebra problem.

$C=\frac{3.50}{2}=1.75$ per pound

$S=\frac{4.71}{3}=1.57$ per pound

She spent $3C + 4S = 3(1.75)+4(1/57)=11.53$

2% tax on 11.53 = $.02 \times 11.53 = .23$

Total spent including tax = $11.53+.23=11.76$

You figure the change from a 20 dollar bill.