Question

A total of

Answer 1

Since there were three times as many student tickets sold, you can write the equation  C = 3A     C being children tickets and A being adult tickets

to get the total number of tickets sold you add children and adults so the equation would be C + A = 496

this is a substitution problem. where you take what C equals in the first equation, and plug it into C for the second equation

(3A) + A = 496
4A = 496
A = 124
so you now know that 124 adult tickets where sold. 

Answer 2

A+s=496

s=496-a

and we are also told that:

s=3a

Since s=s we can say:

3a=496-a  add a to both sides

4a=496  divide both sides by 4

a=124

So 124 adult tickets were sold.