A vendor paid a total of $1440 for some dresses and some vests. He paid $576 less for the dresses than the vests. Each dress cost $20 less than each vest. The number of dresses he bought was ²₃ of the number of vests bought.

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

	Dresses	Vests	Difference in cost	Number of items in 1 set
Number of sets	2	3
Total cost	$432	$1008
Cost of 1 set	432 ÷ 2 = $216	1008 ÷ 3 = $336	336 - 216 = $120
Cost of each item	1 u	1 u + $20	$20	120 ÷ 20 = 6

(a)
Total amount = $1440
Total amount spent on dresses = (1440 - 576) ÷ 2 = $432
Total amount spent on vests = 432 + 576 = $1008

Amount that he paid for all the dresses = $432

(b)
2 sets of dresses = $432
3 sets of vests = $1008

1 set of dresses = 432 ÷ 2 = $216
1 set of vests = 1008 ÷ 3 = $336

Difference in the amount paid for each set of vests and dresses
= 336 - 216
= $120

The extra $120 is due to each vest costing $20 more than each dress.

Number of dresses in 1 set
= 120 ÷ 20
= 6

Number of dresses that he bought
= 2 sets of dresses
= 2 x 6
= 12

Answer(s): (a) $432; (b) 12