Cost, Profit, and Value Problems
Total value number of items value per item
Profit selling cost buying cost
Example 1 A music store owner purchased x compact discs for $6.50 each. He sold all but
19 of them for $12.00 each. If he made a profit of $564.00 from the compact discs,
what is the value of x ?
Solution 1. The problem asks for the value of x .
2. x is given as the number of compact discs purchased.
3. Selling cost number of items sold value per item ( x 19) 12
Buying cost number of items bought value per item x 6.50
Profit selling cost buying cost ( x 19) 12 6.5 x
4. 564 ( x 19) 12 6.5 x
564 12 x 228 6.5 x 5.5 x 228
792 5.5x
x 144
5. The number of compact discs purchased is 144.
Distance, Rate, and Time Problems
total distance d total distance d
Distance rate time , d rt Average speed , r Average time , t
total time t average speed r
Example 2 Carl drove from his home to the beach at a speed of 50 mph and returned home
along the same route at a speed of 30mph. If his total driving time for the trip was
two hours, how many minutes did it take him to drive from his home to the beach?
Solution 1. The problem asks for the time it took for Carl to drive to the beach.
2. Let t the time in hours it took for Carl to drive to the beach.
Then 2 t the time spent for the return trip.
Make a chart and a sketch showing the given facts.
Rate Time Distance Going out
50t
Going out 50 t 50t
30(2 t )
Returning 2 t Returning
30 30(2 t )
3. 50t 30(2 t ) The distance going out the distance returning.
50t 60 30t Distributive Property
80t 60 Add 30t on each side.
60 3
4. t hours Solve for t .
80 4
3 3
5. It took Carl hours, or 60 45 minutes, to drive from his home to the beach.
4 4
