Example

Solving a Word Problem for the Cost Per Pound of Grapes

Apply the problem-solving strategy to find a unit cost using the Division Property of Equality.

Problem: Denae bought 66 pounds of grapes for $10.74. What was the cost of one pound of grapes?

  1. Identify what to find: the cost of 11 pound of grapes.
  2. Name the unknown: Let cc = the cost of one pound.
  3. Translate into a single sentence: "The cost of 66 pounds is $10.74." This becomes the equation 6c=10.746c = 10.74.
  4. Solve by dividing both sides by 66 (Division Property of Equality):

6c6=10.746\frac{6c}{6} = \frac{10.74}{6}

c=1.79c = 1.79

  1. Answer: The grapes cost $1.79 per pound.
  2. Check by substituting back: Does 6(1.79)=10.746(1.79) = 10.74?

6(1.79)=?10.746(1.79) \stackrel{?}{=} 10.74

10.74=10.7410.74 = 10.74 \checkmark

The answer is confirmed. This example illustrates how a real-world multiplication relationship — total cost equals the number of units times the cost per unit — translates into an equation of the form nc=Tnc = T, which is solved by dividing both sides by the number of units.

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Updated 2026-04-21

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