A store owner paid a total of $918 for some blazers and some dresses. He paid $510 more for the dresses than the blazers. Each dress cost $17 more than each blazer. The number of blazers he bought was ²₃ of the number of dresses bought.

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

	Blazers	Dresses	Difference in cost	Number of items in 1 set
Number of sets	2	3
Total cost	$204	$714
Cost of 1 set	204 ÷ 2 = $102	714 ÷ 3 = $238	238 - 102 = $136
Cost of each item	1 u	1 u + $17	$17	136 ÷ 17 = 8

(a)
Total amount = $918
Total amount spent on blazers = (918 - 510) ÷ 2 = $204
Total amount spent on dresses = 204 + 510 = $714

Amount that he paid for all the blazers = $204

(b)
2 sets of blazers = $204
3 sets of dresses = $714

1 set of blazers = 204 ÷ 2 = $102
1 set of dresses = 714 ÷ 3 = $238

Difference in the amount paid for each set of dresses and blazers
= 238 - 102
= $136

The extra $136 is due to each dress costing $17 more than each blazer.

Number of blazers in 1 set
= 136 ÷ 17
= 8

Number of blazers that he bought
= 2 sets of blazers
= 2 x 8
= 16

Answer(s): (a) $204; (b) 16