A shop owner paid a total of $1350 for some blouses and some dresses. He paid $810 more for the dresses than the blouses. Each dress cost $25 more than each blouse. The number of blouses he bought was ²₃ of the number of dresses bought.

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

	Blouses	Dresses	Difference in cost	Number of items in 1 set
Number of sets	2	3
Total cost	$270	$1080
Cost of 1 set	270 ÷ 2 = $135	1080 ÷ 3 = $360	360 - 135 = $225
Cost of each item	1 u	1 u + $25	$25	225 ÷ 25 = 9

(a)
Total amount = $1350
Total amount spent on blouses = (1350 - 810) ÷ 2 = $270
Total amount spent on dresses = 270 + 810 = $1080

Amount that he paid for all the blouses = $270

(b)
2 sets of blouses = $270
3 sets of dresses = $1080

1 set of blouses = 270 ÷ 2 = $135
1 set of dresses = 1080 ÷ 3 = $360

Difference in the amount paid for each set of dresses and blouses
= 360 - 135
= $225

The extra $225 is due to each dress costing $25 more than each blouse.

Number of blouses in 1 set
= 225 ÷ 25
= 9

Number of blouses that he bought
= 2 sets of blouses
= 2 x 9
= 18

Answer(s): (a) $270; (b) 18