SOLUTION: Together Billy and Joey have 17 peppermints. Billy has 5 more pepperments than Joey. How many peppermints does each boy have? a. Billy 5, Joey 17 b. Billy 5, Joey 12 c. Bill

Question 131759: Together Billy and Joey have 17 peppermints. Billy has 5 more pepperments than Joey. How many peppermints does each boy have?
a. Billy 5, Joey 17
b. Billy 5, Joey 12
c. Billy 12, Joey 5
d. Billy 4, Joey 13
I tried to help my son with this simple question, however, my answer Billy 11, Joey 6, is not an option. Can someone please help?
Found 2 solutions by rapaljer, solver91311:
Answer by rapaljer(4671) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The first step in a word problem is to identify the variables with a letter like x. I recommend that you choose the word at the end of the sentence or phrase, and let x equal that. In this case,

let x = number of peppermints of Joey (end of sentence).
x+5 = Billy

Write the equation:
Total number of peppermints

Joey + Billy = 17
x + x+5=17
2x+5=17
2x=12
x=6 Joey
x+5= 11 Billy

I quite agree with you on this one! The answer that is given is WRONG!

R^2

P.S. Please see my website for extra explanation, examples, exercises, and answers. Click on my tutor name "rapaljer" anywhere in algebra.com. Click on the first link on my website called "Basic or Intermediate Algebra: One Step at a Time", then go to Chapter 1 in Basic Algebra. See Sections 1.09 and 1.10 on word problems. See also my pages MATH IN LIVING COLOR.
Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
As you probably suspect by now, there is an error, either in the statement of the problem or in the the answers. Your answer of Billy 11, Joey 6 is absolutely correct. However, on the theory that you should always answer a multiple choice question by selecting the 'most correct' answer, I would choose answer c. That is the only one of the three that shows Billy with more pieces of candy than Joey. There is also the possibility that the question was misstated and was supposed to read: "...Billy has 7 more pepperments than Joey...", in which case answer c would be correct in all respects.

Perhaps a call or visit to the boy's teacher might be in order. However, in the interests of meaningful dialog, I would avoid any temptation to begin the conversation with, "What? Are you nuts?"
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