SOLUTION: Gary bought 3/5 as many apples as oranges from the supermarket. He gave away 6 apples and 26 oranges. He then had 3/4 as many apples left as oranges. How many apples and oranges di

Question 1184922: Gary bought 3/5 as many apples as oranges from the supermarket. He gave away 6 apples and 26 oranges. He then had 3/4 as many apples left as oranges. How many apples and oranges did Gary buy altogether?
Found 3 solutions by greenestamps, JBnovelwriter, josgarithmetic:
Answer by greenestamps(13200)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

You might set this problem up for solving by letting x be the number of oranges, making the number of apples (3/5)x. If you are careful you should end up with the right answer.

I would prefer setting the problem up without fractions at the very beginning. So I would do this:

let 5x = # of oranges
let 3x = # of apples

Then 5x-26 is the number of oranges he ends up with; and 3x-6 is the number of apples he ends up with.

The number of apples he ends up with is 3/4 the number of oranges he ends up with:

ANSWER: The total number of apples and oranges he bought was 5x+3x = 8x = 8*18 = 144

CHECK:
oranges: started with 5x=90; gave away 26, ending with 64
apples: started with 3x=54; gave away 6, ending with 48
48/64 = 3/4

Answer by JBnovelwriter(34)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
a= apples b=oranges

You have what a equals so replace a in 2nd equation

Now we start solving for b
Go ahead and do the reciprocal of 3/4 so times by 4/3 to each side
left side 3s cancel and the 6 becomes a 2
lets get rid of the 26 to isolate one variable add 26 to each side.
lets get rid of the other fraction so multiply both sides by 5
subtract 4b from both sides
now take this value and put in the first equation

the 90 can be reduced by the 5 to 18 (18*5=90) and (3*18=54)

54 apples 90 oranges
Total of 144 fruits

Answer by josgarithmetic(39617)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
n number of oranges

Apples:
Oranges:

Gave-away

Apples:
Oranges:

had 3/4 as many apples left as oranges.
or better, .

---

LCD,

and then ,.....
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