A vendor sells hot dogs and bags of potato chips. a customer buys 5 hot dogs and 2 bags of potato chips for $14.50. another customer buys 4 hot dogs and 5 bags of potato chips for $15.00. find the cost of each item.

X=hot dogs

y=potato chips

5x+2y=14.5

4x+5y=15.00

solving the system of equations

20x+8y=58 by multiplying the first equation by 4

20x+25y=75 by multiplying the second equation by 5

17y=17--->y=1 by subtracting equation 2 from 1

substituting in one of the equations

4x+5=15--->4x=10--->x=10/4=5/2=2.5