SOLUTION: If a beet-sugar factory in England processed 2000 tons less of beets per day, it would take 1 day longer to slice 60,000 tons of them. How many tons of beets are processed per day?

Algebra.Com
Question 1115665: If a beet-sugar factory in England processed 2000 tons less of beets per day, it would take 1 day longer to slice 60,000 tons of them. How many tons of beets are processed per day?
Answer by ikleyn(52781)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
Let x = "How many tons of beets are processed per day?", i.e. the value under the question.

Then the condition gives you this equation


     -  = 1,     (1)


which is direct translation of the condition to Math.


To simplify calculations, we can make an agreement that we measure the amounts not in tons, but in THOUSANDS of tons.

Then the equation (1) takes the form


     -  = 1.              (2)


Then I can solve it mentally:  x = 12.


Indeed,   -  =  = 6 - 5 = 1.


You can solve the equation (2) formally by multiplying both sides by x:


60*x - 60*(x-2) = x*(x-2),

60x - 60x + 120 = x^2 - 2x

x^2 - 2x - 120 = 0

(x - 12)*(x + 10) = 0.


Of the two roots  x= 12  and  x= -10  only positive root x= 12 satisfies the condition.


Answer.  12000 tons of beets are processed per day normally.

Solved.


RELATED QUESTIONS

In sugar beet, there is 21% of sugar. How much sugar beet do you need in order to get... (answered by josmiceli)
It has been calculated that a large swarm of locusts can eat 3,000 tons of food in a... (answered by richwmiller)
Normally a factory produces 400 radios in x days. IF the factory were to produce 20 more... (answered by ikleyn,greenestamps)
PLEASE HELP ME TO SOLVE THIS FOLLOWING QUESTION We consider a farmer who has a total... (answered by ikleyn)
``PLEASE HELP ME TO SOLVE THIS FOLLOWING QUESTION by SOLVER TOOL We consider a farmer... (answered by greenestamps,ikleyn)
You need 15 pounds of peeled and diced beets for a recipe. If you expect a 60% yield, and (answered by ikleyn)
You need 15 pounds of peeled and diced beets for a recipe. If you expect a 60% yield, and (answered by josgarithmetic)
. A local factory currently assembles 160 ovens per day. The factory can sell each oven (answered by Theo)
if 4 men can mow certain piece of land in 6 days ,working 10 hours a day, how many days... (answered by Alan3354,stanbon)