Polynomials in the Supermarket
You've probably used a polynomial in your head more than once when shopping. For example, you might want to know how much three pounds of flour, two dozen eggs and three quarts of milk cost. Before you check the prices, construct a simple polynomial, letting "f" denote the price of flour, "e" denote the price of a dozen eggs and "m" the price of a quart of milk. It looks like this: 3f + 2e + 3m.
This basic algebraic expression is now ready for you to input prices. If flour costs $4.49, eggs cost $3.59 a dozen and milk costs $1.79 a quart, you will be charged 3(4.49) + 2(3.59) + 3(1.79) = $26.02 at checkout, plus tax.
Hope it helps:)
