Please help with an algebra problem!!!?

Question

Don ordered 2 times as many boxes of ballpoint pens as boxes of felt tip pens. Ballpoint pens cost $3.50 a box and felt tip pens cost $4.50. If Don's order of pens totaled $46, how many boxes of each type of pen did he buy?

also, i need to know how you got the answer with an equation or however it is that you got the answer because all i have is the answer. I just want to know how you would go about it.

Answer 1

Hi,
Many word problems can be put in this form:
something = some number
For your problem, we can write this:
Cost of ballpoint pens + cost of felt tip pens = $46
Now, the cost of the pens is just the price per box multiplied by the number of boxes. We don't know the number of boxes, but that doesn't bother us.
We'll just let the number of boxes of felt tip pens be represented by x. And since there are twice that many ballpoint pens, that is just 2x.
So, back to our word equation:
Cost of ballpoint pens + cost of felt tip pens = $46
2x * Price per box + x (price per box) =46
2(3.50)x +4.50x = 46
7x + 4.5x = 46
11.5x = 46
x = 4
So, there are 4 boxes of felt tips and twice that many, or 8, boxes of ballpoint pens.

Hope this helps.
FE

Answer 2

let boxes of ballpoint pen be 2x, and felt tip pens be x

2x(3.50) + x(4.50) = 46
7x+4.50x=46
11.50x=46
x=4

therefore, boxes of ballpoint pen =8
boxes of felt tip pens =4

Answer 3

8 ball point, 4 felt tip

8x3.5= 28
4x4.5=18

28+18=46