document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=42308>Question 42308</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> BOB & MARY EACH HAVE APPLES<BR>\n" );
document.write( "IF BOB WERE TO GIVE MARY 2 OF HIS APPLES MARY WOULD HAVE TWICE AS MANY APPLES AS BOB. HOWEVER, IF MARY WERE TO GIVE BOB 2 OF HER APPLES, BOTH MARY AND BOB WOULD HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF APPLES. HOW MANY APPLES DOES BOB AND MARY TO START? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #27438 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=fractalier><B>fractalier(6550)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=fractalier><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/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=fractalier><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=27438\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Let b and m be what Bob and Mary have before giving any of them away.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The first statement says<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2(b - 2) = m + 2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The second says<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m - 2 = b + 2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Solve both for m and set them equal...we have<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2b - 4 = m + 2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m = 2b - 6<BR>\n" );
document.write( "and<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m = b + 4<BR>\n" );
document.write( "so that<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2b - 6 = b + 4<BR>\n" );
document.write( "and you can find that<BR>\n" );
document.write( "b = 10<BR>\n" );
document.write( "and<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m = 14<BR>\n" );
document.write( "and you can check that it is true by plugging these numbers into the problem... </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );