Big Apple or Bust - 1

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
May/June 2009
Big Apple or Bust!

A group of students from Wamsutta Middle School is planning a trip to
New York City. Their student council is investigating bus companies that
offer special group plans. Two advertisements appear below.
fee
$400 booking
t
en
$10 per stud
ne
ooking fee
Travel to
( Low $200 b
ent
( $15 per stud
m. or
( Travel at 7 a.
NOON daily !
ssss
ss ss ss s
ssssssssssss
ss ss ss ss ss ss
Bu
ss ss ss ss ss ss
ER
T
R
A
H
C
E
L
P
AP
y
s Compan
ssssssssssss
Li
s
u
B
R
E
T
R
A
H
C
CITY
ss ss ss s
ss
to NYC
Daily trips
10 a.m.
at 6 a.m. and
ssssssssss
ssssssssssss
NYC!
ssssssssss
ssssssssssss
ssssssssssss
ssssssssss
Bus Company Plans
1. Which bus company plan do you think is the better

deal? Explain why you think so.
1000
900
Cost (in dollars)
800
2. Complete the table below.

Apple
Charter
500
400
300
100
City
Charter
5
15
25
35
45
3. Now use the table to describe which bus company you
think is the better deal, and compare it to your answer
in question 1.
4. On the grid in the next column, use two different colors

to graph the cost of 5, 15, 25, 35, and 45 students.
Use one color to represent the Apple Charter Bus
Company and another color for the City Charter Bus
Line to NY City.
NCTM Student Math Notes, May/June 2009
600
200
Cost Comparison
Number of
Students
700
10
20 30 40 50 60
Number of Students
70
80
5. Describe in words how to find the cost of using Apple

Charter Bus Company with any number of students:
The cost will equal ___________ plus _________________
__________________________________________________
6. Use variables and numbers to write an equation that
describes the cost of using Apple Charter Bus Company with any number of students. Let C represent the
cost and s the number of students:
C = ______________________________________________
7. Use the same procedure that you followed in questions 5 and 6 to write an equation that describes the
cost of using City Charter Bus Line with any number of
students. Let C represent the cost and s the number of
students.
C = ______________________________________________
8. Use the equations that you wrote to find the cost for
transporting 23 students with each bus company.
Copyright 2009 by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc. www.nctm.org. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Big Apple or Bustcontinued

9. Use the equations that you wrote to find the cost of
68 students with each bus company.
10. What do the answers to questions 8 and 9 tell you

about which bus company has the better deal?
We can use any of the representations to find the number

of students that will cost any fixed amount of money.
16. Use your graph, tables, or equations to find the interval of the number of students that would make the
Apple Charter Bus Company the better deal. Explain
which representation you used and how you determined your answer.
17. Find the interval of the number of students that would

make the City Charter Bus Line the better deal. Which
representation did you use? How did you determine
your answer?
11. Use your equation from question 7 to find the number of students who can attend for $830 with the City
Charter Bus Line.
Accommodations and Sightseeing Plans
12. Explain how you can use either the table or your
graph to confirm your answer to question 11.
After the student council chose a bus company, it was

time to investigate package prices for hotel accommodations and museum tickets. Assume that for both packages below, each nights hotel cost is the same and each
museum ticket cost is the same.
PACKAGE
13. Use any representation to find the number of students who can attend for $830 with the Apple Charter Bus Company. Explain your choice.
A
PACKAGE
B
Using a graph, table, or equation also allows us to find
when the cost would be the same for the same number of
students with both bus companies.
14. Use your graph representation to find the number of
students for which the cost would be the same with
both bus companies. What do you see on the graph
that indicates this?
15. Use the equations that you wrote for questions 6 and
7 to confirm that the cost would be the same for that
number of students.
The two equations that you wrote describing the cost (C),
for any number of students (s), is considered a system
of equations. The solution to a system of equations is an
ordered pair (number of students, cost) that satisfies both
equations in the system.
1 nights hotel accommodation and

2 museum tickets for $170 per person
3 museum tickets for $200 per person
18. Notice that we already know the total cost per person
of each package. What accounts for the difference in
the cost of the two packages?
19. Find the cost for 1 museum ticket for each package.
20. Find the cost for 1 nights hotel accommodation for

each package.
21. Suppose you receive a brochure in the mail describing 2 new packages. Package C is for 2 nights and 2
museum tickets. Assume that the cost for each hotel
accommodation and each museum ticket is the same.
Find the total cost per person for Package C.

22. Package D includes 2 nights and 4 museum tickets.
Find the total cost per person for Package D.
(A coefficient is the number that is multiplied by the variable; for example, in 2h, 2 is the coefficient.)
Suppose another company offers the following package
prices for a hotel stay and sightseeing tour tickets.
23. Write an equation that represents the cost in package

A. Let h represent the cost of nightly accommodations
and m represent the cost of museum tickets.
$170 = _________________________________________
24. Write an equation to represent the costs in Package
B. Let h represent the cost of nightly accommodations
and m represent the cost of museum tickets.
Package
Package

2 sightseeing tickets for $415 per person
4 sightseeing tickets for $620 per person
$200 = _________________________________________
Other Ways to Solve Systems
If two equations are true, then the sum of the equations
must be true: If
2+3=5
27. Write an equation for Package X using h to represent

the cost of nightly hotel accommodations and t to represent the cost of the sightseeing tour tickets.
and + (2 + 4 = 6)
then
4 + 7 =11.
Likewise, the difference between the two equations must

be true:
If
2+3=5
and
(2 + 4 = 6)
then
0 + (1) = 1.
Now lets use the two equations that you wrote in questions 23 and 24 to find another way to solve the system.
Remember that the solution to the system is the ordered
pair (h, m), or (hotel cost, museum cost), that makes both
equations true.
25. Align the equations you wrote in questions 24 and 25.
Then subtract one equation from the other by subtracting like terms. Find the cost of each museum ticket
and check it with your previous answer.
28. Write an equation for Package Y using h to represent

the cost of nightly hotel accommodations and t to represent the cost of the sightseeing tour tickets.
29. Solve the system of equations to find the cost of the

nightly hotel accommodations and the cost of one
sightseeing tour ticket.
Can You
s CITE OTHER REAL LIFE EXAMPLES OF SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS
s SOLVE A SYSTEM OF EQUATIONS
26. Use the information in either equation to find the cost

for each nights hotel stay. Check it with your previous
answer.
Sometimes equations are not quite so simple, and adding

or subtracting like terms will not immediately allow us to
see the solution. If we multiply any equation by a constant
number, the solution remains true. Notice that if we multiply each number in the equation 3 + 5 = 8 by 2, the new
equation, 6 + 10 = 16, is also true.
In this way, we can change the value of a coefficient or
constant of either equation so that the transformed equation can help us determine the solution.
s SOLVE THE FOLLOWING SYSTEM OF EQUATIONS

3x = 161 5y
2x = 105 3y
Mathematical Content
Tables, graphs, equations, systems of equations
Resource
Opening the Gate Activities. Florida Department of
Education, 19921993.

Answers
1. Answers may vary. For example, the Apple Charter Bus
Company appears to be less expensive for a large number
of students.
2.
Cost Comparison
Number of
Students
Apple
Charter
City
Charter
$450
$275
15
$550
$425
25
$650
$575
35
$750
$725
45
$850
$875
3. Answers may vary. For example, the Apple Charter Bus

Company still appears to be the better deal.
4.
Bus Company Plans
13. With the Apple Charter, 43 students can travel. A sample

explanation might state, I chose the equation because I can
calculate the exact number of students, or the answer may
show the work to solve 400 + 10s = 830 or be represented
by a table or graph.
14. When 40 students go on the trip, the cost is equal on both
bus lines. The point where the lines intersect represents the
same number of students and the same cost on both lines.
15. 200 + 15s = 400 + 10s
5s = 200
s = 40
16. When s > 40, the Apple Charter is the better deal. Explanations can be from a table, graph, or equation.
17. When s < 40, the City Charter is the better deal. Explanations can be from a table, graph, or equation.
18. The difference is the number of museum tickets.
19. $200 $170 = $30
[Package A $170 (2 s 30);
20. $110
1000
Package B $200 (3 s 30)]
900
Cost (in dollars)
800
Apple Charter
Bus Company
700
600
City Charter
Bus Company
500
400
21. The total cost per person for Package C is $280.

22. The total cost per person for Package D is $340.
23. $170 = 1h + 2m
170
25
300
200
(200
100
30
10
20 30 40 50 60
Number of Students
70
5. Cost = $400 plus $10 times the number of students.

6. C = 400 + 10s
30
80
7. C = 200 + 15s
8. On the Apple Charter Bus Company, 23 students cost $630.

On the City Charter Bus Line, 23 students cost $545.
11. For $830, 42 students can travel on the City Charter Bus
Line.
12. A sample answer might state, If you trace a horizontal line
across from where C = 830 to the points representing City
Charter Bus Line, the vertical line from that point crosses the
s axis at 42 students.
= 1h + 2m
29.
therefore
26.
170 = 1h + 2(30)
= 1h + 3m)
170 = 1h + 60
= 1m
110 = 1h
27. 3h + 2t = $415
9. On the Apple Charter Bus Company, 68 students cost $1080.

On the City Charter Bus Line, 68 students cost $1220.
10. Answers may vary. Sample answer: Sometimes the Apple
Bus Company is the better deal; other times the City Charter
Bus Line is the better deal.
24. $200 = 1h + 3m
28.
4h + 4t = $620
(X)
3h + 2t = 415 (multiply by 2)
(Y)
4h + 4t = 620
(2X)
6h + 4t = 830
(Y)
(4h + 4t = 620)
2h = 210
h = 105
So, the cost of one night in the hotel is $105.

If
3h + 2t = 415
3(105) + 2t = 415
315 + 2t = 415
2t = 100
t = 50
Therefore, each tour ticket is $50.
NCTM STUDENT MATH NOTES is published as a supplement to the NEWS BULLETIN by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,
1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1502. It is also available on the NCTM Web site, www.nctm.org. The ve issues a year appear in September,
November, January/February, March, and May/June. Pages may be reproduced for classroom use without permission.
Editor:
Editorial Panel:
Field Editor:
Board Liaison:
Editorial Coordinator:
Production Editor:
Production Specialist:
Juli K. Dixon, University of Central Florida, jkdixon@mail.ucf.edu

Linda Ferreira, Attleboro Public Schools, Massachusetts, tlferreira@verizon.net
Melissa Boston, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, bostonm@duq.edu
Mark Evans, Garden Grove, California, mevans416@yahoo.com
Derek Fialkiewicz, Bonanza High School, Nevada, dealki@interact.ccsd.net
Patrick Flynn, Olathe East High School, Kansas, pynn@kc.rr.com
Ed Nolan, Albert Einstein High School, Maryland, ed@nolanmath.com
Marshalyn Baker, Messalonskee Middle School, Maine, mbaker@msad47.org
Beth Skipper, NCTM, bskipper@nctm.org
Luanne Flom, NCTM
Rebecca Totten, NCTM

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National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Big Apple or Bust!

Bus Company Plans

1. Which bus company plan do you think is the better

Cost (in dollars)

2. Complete the table below.

4. On the grid in the next column, use two different colors

NCTM Student Math Notes, May/June 2009

5. Describe in words how to find the cost of using Apple

Big Apple or Bustcontinued

10. What do the answers to questions 8 and 9 tell you

We can use any of the representations to find the number

17. Find the interval of the number of students that would

After the student council chose a bus company, it was

1 nights hotel accommodation and

20. Find the cost for 1 nights hotel accommodation for

NCTM Student Math Notes, May/June 2009

Big Apple or Bustcontinued

23. Write an equation that represents the cost in package

3 nights hotel accommodation and

27. Write an equation for Package X using h to represent

Likewise, the difference between the two equations must

28. Write an equation for Package Y using h to represent

29. Solve the system of equations to find the cost of the

26. Use the information in either equation to find the cost

Sometimes equations are not quite so simple, and adding

NCTM Student Math Notes, May/June 2009

s SOLVE THE FOLLOWING SYSTEM OF EQUATIONS

Big Apple or Bustcontinued

3. Answers may vary. For example, the Apple Charter Bus

Bus Company Plans

13. With the Apple Charter, 43 students can travel. A sample

Package B $200 (3 s 30)]

Cost (in dollars)

21. The total cost per person for Package C is $280.

5. Cost = $400 plus $10 times the number of students.

8. On the Apple Charter Bus Company, 23 students cost $630.

9. On the Apple Charter Bus Company, 68 students cost $1080.

So, the cost of one night in the hotel is $105.

Therefore, each tour ticket is $50.

Juli K. Dixon, University of Central Florida, jkdixon@mail.ucf.edu

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s SOLVE THE FOLLOWING SYSTEM OF EQUATIONS