document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=29935>Question 29935</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Ben bought a pad of paper, a pencil, an eraser, and a compass for $1.80.  The compass cost twice as much as the paper.  The eraser cost a third as much as the compass.  The pencil cost half as much as the eraser.  How much did each item cost? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #16718 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Cintchr><B>Cintchr(481)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-10.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Cintchr><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=16718\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Ohh ... I like this one.  First lets define what we know.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+paper+=+a+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+paper+=+a+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+pencil+=+%281%2F2%29eraser+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+pencil+=+%281%2F2%29eraser+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+eraser+=+%281%2F2%29compass+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+eraser+=+%281%2F2%29compass+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+compass+=+2paper+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+compass+=+2paper+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+paper+%2B+pencil+%2B+eraser+%2B+compass+=+1.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+paper+%2B+pencil+%2B+eraser+%2B+compass+=+1.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "now we are going to do some substitution<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+paper+%2B+pencil+%2B+eraser+%2B+compass+=+1.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+paper+%2B+pencil+%2B+eraser+%2B+compass+=+1.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "where we see \"pencil\" plug in (1/2)eraser<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+paper+%2B+%281%2F2%29eraser+%2B+eraser+%2B+compass+=+1.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+paper+%2B+%281%2F2%29eraser+%2B+eraser+%2B+compass+=+1.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "where we see \"eraser\" we plug in (1/2)compass<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+paper+%2B+%281%2F2%29%281%2F2%29compass+%2B+%281%2F2%29compass+%2B+compass+=+1.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+paper+%2B+%281%2F2%29%281%2F2%29compass+%2B+%281%2F2%29compass+%2B+compass+=+1.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "where we see \"compass\" we plug in 2paper <BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+paper+%2B+%281%2F2%29%281%2F2%292paper+%2B+%281%2F2%292paper+%2B+2paper+=+1.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+paper+%2B+%281%2F2%29%281%2F2%292paper+%2B+%281%2F2%292paper+%2B+2paper+=+1.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "where we see \"paper\" plug in 'a'<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+1a+%2B+%281%2F2%29%281%2F2%292a+%2B+%281%2F2%292a+%2B+2a+=+1.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+1a+%2B+%281%2F2%29%281%2F2%292a+%2B+%281%2F2%292a+%2B+2a+=+1.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "multiply the parts with multiple numbers<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+1a+%2B+%281%2F2%29a+%2B+1a+%2B+2a+=+1.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+1a+%2B+%281%2F2%29a+%2B+1a+%2B+2a+=+1.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > now add up the 'a'<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+9a%2F2+=+1.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+9a%2F2+=+1.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > have to go to an improper fraction here not a mixed number. change $1.80 to to 9/5 in fraction form.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+9a%2F2+=+9%2F5+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+9a%2F2+=+9%2F5+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > multiply both sides by 2/9<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+%289a%2F2%29%282%2F9%29+=+%289%2F5%29%282%2F9%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+%289a%2F2%29%282%2F9%29+=+%289%2F5%29%282%2F9%29+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > cancel and reduce<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+a+=+2%2F5+or+4%2F10+or+.4+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+a+=+2%2F5+or+4%2F10+or+.4+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "lets look back at our given info:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+paper+=+a+=+.40+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+paper+=+a+=+.40+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+compass+=+2paper+=+2%28.40%29+=+.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+compass+=+2paper+=+2%28.40%29+=+.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+eraser+=+%281%2F2%29compass+=+%281%2F2%29%28.80%29+=+.40+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+eraser+=+%281%2F2%29compass+=+%281%2F2%29%28.80%29+=+.40+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+pencil+=+%281%2F2%29eraser+=+%281%2F2%29%28.40%29+=+.20+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+pencil+=+%281%2F2%29eraser+=+%281%2F2%29%28.40%29+=+.20+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "plug theese values in to the final equation<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+paper+%2B+pencil+%2B+eraser+%2B+compass+=+1.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+paper+%2B+pencil+%2B+eraser+%2B+compass+=+1.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+.40+%2B+.20+%2B+.40+%2B+.80+=+1.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+.40+%2B+.20+%2B+.40+%2B+.80+=+1.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+1.80+=+1.80+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+1.80+=+1.80+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > YES!! we did it right!\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );