How to Write an Equation

You are running a concession stand at a basketball game. You are selling hot dogs and sodas.Click the "i" button below to learn more about the situation

The Scenario

Think: What do we not know?

How To Write An Equation

Concession Stand Sales

Step 1: Determine what the variable represents

Think: What do we already know and what does it mean?

Step 2: Determine the Values

Combine information that goes together.

Step 3: Write your equations

Click the "i" button to see an additional scenrio on writing equations

ADditional Scenario

• Each hot dog costs $1.50 and each soda costs $0.50.

• At the end of the night you made a total of $78.50.
• You sold a total of 87 hot dogs and sodas combined.

You must report the number of hot dogs sold and the number of sodas sold. How many hot dogs were sold and how many sodas were sold?

We don't know:

• How many hotdogs were sold so lets represent that with h
• How many sodas were sold so lets represent that with s

What we do know:

• Each hot dog costs $1.50
• Each soda costs $0.50.

• At the end of the night you made a total of $78.50.
• You sold a total of 87 hot dogs and sodas combined.

You must report the number of hot dogs sold and the number of sodas sold. How many hot dogs were sold and how many sodas were sold? We know:

• You sold a total of 87 hot dogs and sodas combined.
• h represents hotdogs sold
• s represents sodas sold

So our equation would be combined to be h + s = 87 We also know:

• Each hot dog costs $1.50
• Each soda costs $0.50.

• At the end of the night you made a total of $78.50.

So our equation would be combined to be 1.50h + 0.50s = 78.50

Scenario: Amara buys a pack of Honey Buns for $3. She also buys 7 different boxes of cereal, each marked the same price. Amara spends a total of $31. What we don't know:

• the cost of the cereal boxes we can represent that using x

What we do know:

• Honey Buns cost $3
• She buys 7 boxes of cereal
• Spends a total of $31

Writing the Equation:

• 7x + 3 = 31