When I went to the store, I purchased four items. The following shows the cost of three of the items:

$1.50
$3.00
$4.00

The line to the checkout was pretty long, so to quench my boredom I started playing with my pocket calculator while waiting.

I found out, to my surprise, that the four prices of the four items I purchased added to the same number as I got when I multiplied the four prices together.

What was the price of the fourth item?

.50

Step-by-step explanation:

let p be the unknown price

1.50 + 3.00 + 4.00 + P = 1.50 x 3.00 x 4.00 x P

8.50 + P = 18.00 x P

8.50 = 18.00 x P - P

8.50 = 17.00 x P

8.50/17.00 = P

P = 0.50.

in mathematics, a function is a relationship between two variables such that the value of one of the variables, called the dependent variable, is determined by the value of the other variable, called the independent variable. there is a specific term we use to describe the set of independent variables of a function.