Let the cost of one hot dog be x and the cost of one hamburger be y, then given that five
hot dog(s) and four hamburger(s) cost
$16.50, we have
5x + 4y = 16.50 . . . (1)
Given that four hot
dog(s) and fivehamburger(s) cost $17.25, we have
4x + 5y = 17.25 . . . (2)
(1) x 4 ⇒ 20x + 16y = 66 . . . (3)
(2) x 5 ⇒ 20x + 25y = 86.25 . . . (4)
(3) - (4) ⇒ -9y = -20.25
⇒ y = -20.25 / -9 = 2.25
Substituting for y into (1) gives:
5x + 4(2.25) = 16.50
⇒ 5x + 9 = 16.50
⇒ 5x = 16.50 - 9 = 7.5
⇒ x = 7.5 / 5 = 1.5
Therefore, the cost of one hot dog is $1.50 and the cost of one hamburger is $2.25.