QJennifer went on a shopping spree, spending a total of 124.00 on a skirt, a sweater and a pair of shoes

x = price of skirt y = price of sweater z = price of shoes . We're told... x + y + z = 124 y = 8/7*x z = x -8 or x = z+8 . Now we have y and z defined in terms of x. So, we can put them all together with what we know. . x + 8/7*x + (x-8) = 124 Multiply both sides by 7 to eliminate the denominator 7x + 8x + 7(x-8) = 7*124 15x + 7x -56 = 868 22x = 868 + 56 22x = 924 x = 42 . The skirt cost $42. The shoes cost $8 less than the skirt, 42-8 = 34. The shoes cost $34. The total is $124, so the sweater cost 124 - 42 - 34 = 48. The sweater cost $48. . Always check your answer! There's no need to check the total, since we plugged it into the equations to ensure it was 124. Likewise, there's no need to check the shoes, since we did the same. So, we're left with calculating the price of the sweater to see if it matches. . 8/7*x = 8/7*42 8/7*42 = 8*6 8*6 = 48 That checks. . Always make sure your answer is stated clearly. The skirt cost $42. The shoes cost $34. The sweater cost $48. . Done.