SOLUTION: susan, alonzo, and joe have a total of $70 dollars in their wallet. Alonzo has $6 less than susan. Joe has 2 times what Alonzo has. How much do they have in their wallet?

Question 1151216: susan, alonzo, and joe have a total of $70 dollars in their wallet. Alonzo has $6 less than susan. Joe has 2 times what Alonzo has. How much do they have in their wallet?
Found 2 solutions by MathLover1, greenestamps:
Answer by MathLover1(20850) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
let the amount of dollars that Susan have be , Alonzo , and Joe
if Susan, Alonzo, and Joe have a total of $ dollars in their wallet, than
........eq.1
if Alonzo has $ less than Susan, than
.......eq.2
Joe has times what Alonzo has, we have
...........substitute from eq.2
.......eq.3
go back to
........eq.1 substitute from eq.2 and from eq.3
..........solve for

go to
.......eq.2, substitute

go to
.......eq.3, substitute

so,
Susan has dollars in her wallet
Alonzo has dollars in his wallet
Joe has dollars in his wallet

Answer by greenestamps(13209) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

A solution using three variables is of course valid; but it requires a lot more work than is necessary.

Read the given information carefully so that the problem can be set up using a single variable:

let x = amount Susan has
then x-6 = amount Alonzo has ($6 less than Susan)
and then 2(x-6) = amount Joe has (twice what Alonzo has)

Now the equation for the total amount that the three of them has is in a single variable.

ANSWER:
Susan: x = $22
Alonzo: x-6 = $16
Joe: 2(x-6) = $32

CHECK: total = $22+$16+$32 = $70

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