The Total Cost of the Pineapples

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 112 views

Estelle's Pineapple Platter: A Math Problem

Estelle is planning a fruit platter for her next gathering, and she has decided to include pineapples as one of the main attractions. She has bought 3 pineapples, and each pineapple costs the same amount. The total cost of the pineapples is less than $12. In this problem, we will use algebra to represent the cost of each pineapple and determine which inequality describes the situation.

Let's Represent the Cost of Each Pineapple

Let's represent the cost of each pineapple as a variable, x. Since the cost of each pineapple is the same, we can use the same variable to represent the cost of all three pineapples.

The Total Cost of the Pineapples

The total cost of the pineapples is the sum of the cost of each individual pineapple. Since there are three pineapples, the total cost can be represented as 3x.

The Total Cost is Less Than $12

We know that the total cost of the pineapples is less than $12. This can be represented as an inequality: 3x < 12.

Which Inequality Describes the Situation?

Now that we have represented the cost of each pineapple and the total cost, we can determine which inequality describes the situation. The inequality 3x < 12 represents the situation, where x is the cost of each pineapple and the total cost is less than $12.

Solving the Inequality

To solve the inequality 3x < 12, we can divide both sides by 3. This gives us x < 4. Therefore, the cost of each pineapple must be less than $4.

In this problem, we used algebra to represent the cost of each pineapple and determine which inequality describes the situation. We found that the inequality 3x < 12 represents the situation, where x is the cost of each pineapple and the total cost is less than $12. We also solved the inequality to find that the cost of each pineapple must be less than $4.

Key Takeaways

Let x represent the cost of each pineapple.
The total cost of the pineapples is 3x.
The total cost is less than $12, which can be represented as 3x < 12.
Solving the inequality 3x < 12 gives us x < 4.

Practice Problems

Let x represent the cost of each apple. If 5 apples cost $15, which inequality describes the situation?
Let x represent the cost of each book. If 3 books cost $12, which inequality describes the situation?
Let x represent the cost of each shirt. If 2 shirts cost $20, which inequality describes the situation?

Answer Key

5x < 15
3x < 12
2x < 20
Estelle's Pineapple Platter: A Math Problem Q&A

In our previous article, we explored the math problem of Estelle's pineapple platter. We used algebra to represent the cost of each pineapple and determine which inequality describes the situation. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions about the problem.

Q: What is the variable x in the problem?

A: The variable x represents the cost of each pineapple.

Q: Why is the total cost of the pineapples represented as 3x?

A: The total cost of the pineapples is the sum of the cost of each individual pineapple. Since there are three pineapples, the total cost can be represented as 3x.

Q: What does the inequality 3x < 12 represent?

A: The inequality 3x < 12 represents the situation where the total cost of the pineapples is less than $12.

Q: How do we solve the inequality 3x < 12?

A: To solve the inequality 3x < 12, we can divide both sides by 3. This gives us x < 4.

Q: What does the solution x < 4 mean?

A: The solution x < 4 means that the cost of each pineapple must be less than $4.

Q: Can we use the same method to solve other inequalities?

A: Yes, we can use the same method to solve other inequalities. For example, if we have the inequality 2x < 10, we can divide both sides by 2 to get x < 5.

Q: What are some real-world applications of this problem?

A: This problem has many real-world applications. For example, if you are planning a party and want to buy a certain number of pineapples, you can use this method to determine how much you should spend.

Q: Can we use this method to solve other problems involving multiple items?

A: Yes, we can use this method to solve other problems involving multiple items. For example, if you are buying a certain number of shirts and each shirt costs the same amount, you can use this method to determine how much you should spend.

Practice Problems

Let x represent the cost of each book. If 4 books cost $16, which inequality describes the situation?
Let x represent the cost of each shirt. If 3 shirts cost $24, which inequality describes the situation?
Let x represent the cost of each apple. If 6 apples cost $18, which inequality describes the situation?

Answer Key

4x < 16
3x < 24
6x < 18

In this article, we answered some frequently asked questions about Estelle's pineapple platter problem. We also provided some practice problems and their solutions. We hope this article has helped you understand the problem and its applications.

Key Takeaways

The variable x represents the cost of each item.
The total cost of multiple items is represented as nx, where n is the number of items.
To solve an inequality of the form nx < c, we can divide both sides by n to get x < c/n.
This method can be used to solve other problems involving multiple items.