A textbook store sold a combined total of 440 physics and sociology textbooks in a week. The number of sociology textbooks sold was 54 less than the number of physics textbooks sold. How many textbooks of each type were sold?

Step-by-step explanation:

If p is the number of physics books and s is the number of sociology books, then:

p + s = 440

s = p - 54

Substituting:

p + (p - 54) = 440

2p - 54 = 440

2p = 494

p = 247

Solving for s:

s = p - 54

s = 247 - 54

s = 193

The store sold 247 physics books and 193 sociology books.