inequalities are written with the smaller number on the left and the larger number on the right, so when
you solve an inequality like this, you may need to rearrange the equation. This isn’t difficult, just make
sure the “arrows” are still pointing at the same numbers when you change the order.
So a correct answer to this question would be any number between 7 and 15, which includes 7, but does
NOT include 15.
Writing Your Own System of Equations
Sometimes you’ll be asked to take a word problem and create a system of equations or inequalities from
that information. Usually they will not ask you to solve this system of equations/inequalities, so if you are
able to locate and translate the information in the problem, you have a good shot at getting the correct
answer. Always start with the most straightforward piece of information. What is the most straightforward
piece of information? Well, that’s up to you to decide. Consider the following problem.
9.Aubrie, Bera, and Kea are running a lemonade and snack stand to earn money. They are
selling lemonade for $1.07 a cup and chocolate chip cookies for $0.78 each. Their
customers arrive on foot or by car. During a three-hour period, they had 47 customers each
buying only one item and made $45.94. Aubrie, Bera, and Kea need to determine if they
have enough supplies for tomorrow. Solving which of the following system of equations
will let them know how many cups of lemonade, x, and how many cookies, y, they sold
today?A)
B)
C)
D)
Here’s How to Crack It
For some people, the most straightforward piece of information deals with the number of items being