Answer:
$342
Step-by-step explanation:
Let the total cost of the dinner = C
If it was shared equally by k employees who attended the dinner and each of the k employees who shared the cost of the dinner paid $19.
We have:
[tex]\dfrac{C}{k}=19 \\\\C=19k[/tex]
If the total cost(C) had been shared equally by k + 1 employees who attended the dinner, each of the k + 1 employees would have paid $18.
This written mathematically is:
[tex]\dfrac{C}{k+1}=18 \\\\C=18(k+1)[/tex]
Equating the cost, C from both equations
19k=18(k+1)
19k=18k+18
19k-18k=18
k=18
Therefore, the total cost of the dinner,
C=19k
=19 X 18
=$342