A customer at the mall is shopping for holiday gifts, and is considering having them wrapped. He can get them wrapped at the department store, which charges $2 per gift. Alternatively, the customer can pay his niece a flat fee of $50 to wrap all of his gifts. If he has a certain number of small packages, it would cost the same amount either way. How many small gifts would that include?

It would include 25 gifts for the cost the same amount either way

Solution:

Let "a" be the number of gifts to be wrapped

He can get them wrapped at the department store, which charges $2 per gift

Therefore,

Cost at department store: 2 (number of gifts)

Cost at department store: 2a

The customer can pay his niece a flat fee of $50 to wrap all of his gifts

Cost at his niece: 50

He has a certain number of small packages, it would cost the same amount either way

Therefore,

Cost at department store = Cost at his niece

2a = 50

Divide both sides by 2

a = 25

Thus it would include 25 gifts for the cost the same amount either way