A seller paid a total of $900 for some vests and some dresses. He paid $360 more for the dresses than the vests. Each dress cost $15 more than each vest. The number of vests he bought was ²₃ of the number of dresses bought.

1. How much did he pay for all the vests?
2. How many vests did he buy?

	Vests	Dresses	Difference in cost	Number of items in 1 set
Number of sets	2	3
Total cost	$270	$630
Cost of 1 set	270 ÷ 2 = $135	630 ÷ 3 = $210	210 - 135 = $75
Cost of each item	1 u	1 u + $15	$15	75 ÷ 15 = 5

(a)
Total amount = $900
Total amount spent on vests = (900 - 360) ÷ 2 = $270
Total amount spent on dresses = 270 + 360 = $630

Amount that he paid for all the vests = $270

(b)
2 sets of vests = $270
3 sets of dresses = $630

1 set of vests = 270 ÷ 2 = $135
1 set of dresses = 630 ÷ 3 = $210

Difference in the amount paid for each set of dresses and vests
= 210 - 135
= $75

The extra $75 is due to each dress costing $15 more than each vest.

Number of vests in 1 set
= 75 ÷ 15
= 5

Number of vests that he bought
= 2 sets of vests
= 2 x 5
= 10

Answer(s): (a) $270; (b) 10