A total of 447 tickets were sold for the school play. They were either adult tickets or student tickets. They were 53 fewer students tickets sold then adult tickets. How many adult tickets were sold?

250

Step-by-step explanation:

Write equations the represent the problem.

let a be the number of adult tickets sold

let t be the number of student tickets sold

a + t = 447 The sum of student and adult tickets is total number of tickets.

a - 53 = t There were fewer student tickets sold than adult tickets.

Use substitution, where you replace one variable with an equation.

Replace t for a-53 in a + t = 447. Then isolate the "a" variable.

a + t = 447

a + (a - 53) = 447

a + a - 53 = 447 < = remove the brackets

2a - 53 = 447 <=collect like terms (numbers with the same variable)

2a = 500 < = divide both sides by 2

a = 250 < = number of adult tickets sold

Therefore 250 adult tickets were sold.

If you wanted to find student tickets too:

Since we know a=250, replace a with 250 in a + t = 447

a + t = 447

250 + t = 447

t = 447 - 250

t = 197 <=number of student tickets sold

Check your answer by making sure the equations are true:

t + a = 447

197 + 250 = 447

447 = 447

LS = RS

Is student tickets 53 less than adult tickets?

a - 53 = t

250 - 53 = 197

197 = 197

LS = RS