The number of brown staplers is thrice the number of orange staplers. The number of orange staplers is 6 more than the number of purple staplers. The total number of staplers is 139. The cost of each brown stapler is $4.10 and the cost of each purple stapler is $3.20. The total cost of all the staplers is $479.60.
- Find the number of purple staplers.
- Find the cost of a orange stapler.
(a)
Number of purple staplers = 1 u
Number of orange staplers = 1 u + 6
Number of brown staplers
= 3(1 u + 6)
= 3 u + 18
Total of number of staplers
= 1 u + 1 u + 6 + 3 u + 18
= 5 u + 24
5 u + 24 = 139
5 u = 139 - 24
5 u = 115
1 u = 115 ÷ 5 = 23
Number of purple staplers
= 1 u
= 23
(b)
Number of purple staplers = 23
Number of orange staplers
= 23 + 6
= 29
Number of brown staplers
= 3 x 29
= 87
Cost of purple staplers
= 23 x 3.20
= $73.60
Cost of brown staplers
= 87 x 4.10
= $356.70
Cost of orange staplers
= 479.60 - 356.70 - 73.60
= $49.30
Cost of 1 orange stapler
= 49.30 ÷ 29
= $1.70
Answer(s) (a) 23; (b) $1.70
