Finding the Maximum Number of Snacks

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 147 views

Introduction

In this article, we will delve into a real-world scenario where a group of friends, Rachel, Adam, Michelle, Hannah, and James, are planning a movie night. They have a budget of $65 to spend on tickets and snacks. The cost of each movie ticket is $9.50, and each snack item costs $4.50. Our goal is to determine how many snacks they can afford within their budget.

The Problem

Let's break down the problem into its components. We have a total budget of $65, which needs to be allocated between movie tickets and snacks. The cost of each movie ticket is $9.50, and the cost of each snack item is $4.50. We want to find out how many snacks they can buy with the remaining budget after purchasing the movie tickets.

Mathematical Formulation

To solve this problem, we can use a simple mathematical approach. Let's assume that the number of snacks they can buy is represented by the variable 's'. We know that the cost of each snack is $4.50, so the total cost of 's' snacks will be $4.50s.

We also know that the total budget is $65, and the cost of each movie ticket is $9.50. Let's assume that the number of movie tickets they can buy is represented by the variable 't'. The total cost of 't' movie tickets will be $9.50t.

Since they have a total budget of $65, the total cost of the movie tickets and snacks should not exceed this amount. We can set up an inequality to represent this constraint:

$9.50t + $4.50s ≤ $65

Solving the Inequality

To solve this inequality, we can start by isolating the variable 's'. We can do this by subtracting $9.50t from both sides of the inequality:

$4.50s ≤ $65 - $9.50t

Next, we can divide both sides of the inequality by $4.50 to isolate the variable 's':

s ≤ ($65 - $9.50t) / $4.50

Finding the Maximum Number of Snacks

Now that we have the inequality, we can find the maximum number of snacks they can buy. To do this, we need to find the maximum value of 's' that satisfies the inequality.

Since the cost of each movie ticket is $9.50, the maximum number of movie tickets they can buy is:

t = $65 / $9.50 t = 6.84 (round down to 6, since they can't buy a fraction of a ticket)

Now that we know the maximum number of movie tickets, we can substitute this value into the inequality:

s ≤ ($65 - $9.50(6)) / $4.50 s ≤ ($65 - $57) / $4.50 s ≤ $8 / $4.50 s ≤ 1.78 (round down to 1, since they can't buy a fraction of a snack)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the group of friends, Rachel, Adam, Michelle, Hannah, and James, can afford to buy a maximum of 1 snack with their remaining budget after purchasing the movie tickets.

Additional Considerations

There are a few additional considerations that we should take into account when solving this problem. For example, what if the cost of each snack item is not $4.50, but rather $5.00? How would this affect the maximum number of snacks they can buy? Similarly, what if the cost of each movie ticket is not $9.50, but rather $10.00? How would this affect the maximum number of movie tickets they can buy?

To answer these questions, we can simply substitute the new values into the inequality and solve for the maximum number of snacks or movie tickets.

Real-World Applications

This problem has many real-world applications. For example, in a business setting, a company may have a budget for marketing and advertising. They may need to allocate this budget between different marketing channels, such as social media, email marketing, and print advertising. By using a similar mathematical approach, they can determine how much to allocate to each channel.

Similarly, in a personal finance setting, an individual may have a budget for entertainment and leisure activities. They may need to allocate this budget between different activities, such as going to the movies, dining out, and traveling. By using a similar mathematical approach, they can determine how much to allocate to each activity.

Conclusion

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored a real-world scenario where a group of friends, Rachel, Adam, Michelle, Hannah, and James, are planning a movie night. They have a budget of $65 to spend on tickets and snacks. The cost of each movie ticket is $9.50, and each snack item costs $4.50. Our goal was to determine how many snacks they can afford within their budget.

In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions related to this problem.

Q: What if the cost of each snack item is not $4.50, but rather $5.00? How would this affect the maximum number of snacks they can buy?

A: If the cost of each snack item is $5.00, we can simply substitute this value into the inequality and solve for the maximum number of snacks they can buy.

s ≤ ($65 - $9.50t) / $5.00

To find the maximum number of snacks, we need to find the maximum value of 's' that satisfies the inequality. Since the cost of each movie ticket is $9.50, the maximum number of movie tickets they can buy is:

t = $65 / $9.50 t = 6.84 (round down to 6, since they can't buy a fraction of a ticket)

Now that we know the maximum number of movie tickets, we can substitute this value into the inequality:

s ≤ ($65 - $9.50(6)) / $5.00 s ≤ ($65 - $57) / $5.00 s ≤ $8 / $5.00 s ≤ 1.60 (round down to 1, since they can't buy a fraction of a snack)

Therefore, if the cost of each snack item is $5.00, the group of friends can afford to buy a maximum of 1 snack with their remaining budget after purchasing the movie tickets.

Q: What if the cost of each movie ticket is not $9.50, but rather $10.00? How would this affect the maximum number of movie tickets they can buy?

A: If the cost of each movie ticket is $10.00, we can simply substitute this value into the inequality and solve for the maximum number of movie tickets they can buy.

t ≤ $65 / $10.00 t ≤ 6.50 (round down to 6, since they can't buy a fraction of a ticket)

Now that we know the maximum number of movie tickets, we can substitute this value into the inequality:

s ≤ ($65 - $10.00(6)) / $4.50 s ≤ ($65 - $60) / $4.50 s ≤ $5 / $4.50 s ≤ 1.11 (round down to 1, since they can't buy a fraction of a snack)

Therefore, if the cost of each movie ticket is $10.00, the group of friends can afford to buy a maximum of 1 snack with their remaining budget after purchasing the movie tickets.

Q: What if the group of friends wants to buy more snacks, but they also want to save some money for other activities? How can they allocate their budget?

A: If the group of friends wants to buy more snacks, but they also want to save some money for other activities, they can allocate their budget accordingly. For example, they can allocate a certain amount of money for snacks, and then allocate the remaining amount of money for other activities.

Let's say they want to allocate $20 for snacks, and the remaining amount of money for other activities. They can use the same mathematical approach to determine how many snacks they can buy with the allocated amount of money.

s ≤ $20 / $4.50 s ≤ 4.44 (round down to 4, since they can't buy a fraction of a snack)

Therefore, if the group of friends allocates $20 for snacks, they can afford to buy a maximum of 4 snacks with their allocated amount of money.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the problem of determining how many snacks a group of friends can buy with their remaining budget after purchasing movie tickets is a classic example of a mathematical conundrum. By using a simple mathematical approach, we can solve this problem and determine the maximum number of snacks they can buy. This problem has many real-world applications, and by understanding the mathematical concepts involved, we can make informed decisions in our personal and professional lives.

Additional Resources

For more information on mathematical concepts related to this problem, please refer to the following resources: