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AlgebraEasyPrice of a pencil from a pair of facts

Algebra practice question

A pen and a pencil cost 3 dollars together, and the pen costs 2 dollars more than the pencil. What is the cost of the pencil, in dollars?

Answer: 1/2 or .5 or 0.5

If the pencil costs p, the pen costs p + 2, and 2p + 2 = 3, so p = 0.5.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 1
1 splits the 3 dollars into 1 and 2 without checking the difference.
If you answered 2.5
2.5 is the cost of the pen.
If you answered 1.5
1.5 halves the total and ignores the difference.

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