GMAT Practice Question: The cost of purchasing each box of candy from a certain mail order catalog is v...
Question
The cost of purchasing each box of candy from a certain mail order catalog is v dollars per pound of candy, plus a shipping charge of h dollars. How many dollars does it cost to purchase 2 boxes of candy, one containing s pounds of candy and the other containing t pounds of candy, from this catalog?
- h+s t v
- 2 h+s t v
- 2 hstv
- 2 h+s+t+v
- 2 h+v(s+t)
Topics: word problems, expression formulas, translations
Solution
Step 1
We translate the per-pound cost for the first box by applying the cost formula where unit cost times quantity gives total cost, based on "v dollars per pound of candy" and s pounds in the first box.
Candy cost of first box = v s
Step 2
We add the shipping charge of h dollars to the candy cost for the first box based on "plus a shipping charge of h dollars".
Cost of first box = v s + h
Step 3
By the same logic, the cost for the second box containing t pounds of candy is the per-pound cost plus the shipping charge.
Cost of second box = v t + h
Step 4
We sum the costs of the two boxes to get the total cost.
Total cost = (v s + h) + (v t + h)
Step 5
We combine like terms by adding the two v-terms and the two h-terms.
Total cost = v(s + t) + 2h
Answer
2h + v(s + t)
