A small toy car costs $3. A large toy car costs 5 times as much as the small one. Aaron wants to buy one of each. Which equation can he use to find the cost (a) of the two cars? 5 \times a = $3 + $3 (5 \times $3) \div 3 = a $3 + (5 \times $3) = a 5 \times ($3 + $3) = a
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Equation: 3+(5×3)=a\boxed{3 + (5 \times 3) = a}
Explanation
In this problem, Aaron wants to buy one small toy car and one large toy car. We are told:
- A small toy car costs $3.
- A large toy car costs 5 times as much as the small one.
Let’s break it down step by step:
- Cost of the small toy car = $3
- Cost of the large toy car = 5 × $3 = $15
Aaron wants to buy one of each, so we add the cost of both cars: Total cost a=Cost of small car+Cost of large car\text{Total cost } a = \text{Cost of small car} + \text{Cost of large car} a=3+(5×3)a = 3 + (5 \times 3) a=3+15=18a = 3 + 15 = 18
So, the correct equation to represent the total cost Aaron will pay is: 3+(5×3)=a\boxed{3 + (5 \times 3) = a}
Let’s examine why the other options are incorrect:
- 5 × a = $3 + $3: This says that 5 times the total cost equals $6. That doesn’t make sense based on the problem.
- (5 × $3) ÷ 3 = a: This calculates $15 ÷ 3 = $5, which doesn’t relate to the total cost of both cars. It’s a wrong operation.
- 5 × ($3 + $3) = a: This multiplies the sum of two small cars by 5: 5 × 6 = $30, which is much higher than the actual cost and implies buying multiple cars.
Only the equation 3+(5×3)=a\boxed{3 + (5 \times 3) = a} correctly represents one small toy car ($3) plus one large toy car (5 × $3 = $15). So, the total cost a=18a = 18 dollars.
