System of Equations: Rona and Karen's Money

How much money did Rona and Karen have at first?

Rona and Karen had $380 altogether. After Rona spent $26 and Karen spent $35, the amount of money Rona had was $59 more than what Karen had.

Answer:

By solving the system of two equations based on the information given in the problem, we find that initially Rona had $205 and Karen had $175.

Explanation:

This problem can be solved with a system of two equations based on the information given. The first fact we know is that Rona and Karen had $380 altogether. So, we can express this as: R = Rona's money and K = Karen's money. So, R + K = 380. The second fact from the problem is after Rona spent $26 and Karen spent $35, Rona had $59 more than Karen. Hence, (R - $26) = (K - $35) +$59. By solving these two equations, we can conclude that at first, Rona had $205 and Karen had $175. Therefore, the correct answer is B) Rona: $205, Karen: $175.