Problem 5 A shopper paid \( \$ 2.52 \) for 4.5 pounds of potatoes, \( \$ 7.75 \) for 2.5 pounds of broccoli, and \( \$ 2.45 \) for 2.5 pounds of pears. What is the unit price of each item she bought? Show your reasoning.

To find the unit price for each item, you divide the total price by the weight in pounds. For the potatoes: \[ \text{Unit price} = \frac{ \$ 2.52}{4.5 \text{ pounds}} \approx 0.56 \text{ dollars per pound} \] For the broccoli: \[ \text{Unit price} = \frac{ \$ 7.75}{2.5 \text{ pounds}} = 3.10 \text{ dollars per pound} \] For the pears: \[ \text{Unit price} = \frac{ \$ 2.45}{2.5 \text{ pounds}} = 0.98 \text{ dollars per pound} \] So, the unit prices are approximately \$0.56 for potatoes, \$3.10 for broccoli, and \$0.98 for pears. Happy shopping! To make grocery shopping more economical, keep an eye on unit prices for everything on your list. You’ll quickly notice which items are worth it and save yourself from those sneaky expensive purchases. Plus, always double-check the math when calculating unit prices; a simple mistake could lead to an expensive mistake in your basket!