document.write( "Question 503243: A group of farmers agree to share equally in the cost of a $48,000 piece of machinery. If they could find two more farmers to join the group, each person's share of the cost would decrease by $4000. How many farmers are presently in the group? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #339172 by mananth(16946)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! let x be number of farmers initially \n" ); document.write( "share per farmer = 48000/x\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "two more join \n" ); document.write( "share per farmer = 48000/(x+2)\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "48000/x - 48000/(x+2) = 4000\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "LCD = x(x+2) \n" ); document.write( "multiply by LCD \n" ); document.write( "48000((x+2)-48000x= 4000x(x+2) \n" ); document.write( "48000x+960000-48000x=4000x^2+8000x \n" ); document.write( "4000x^2+8000x-960000=0 \n" ); document.write( "/4000 \n" ); document.write( "x^2+2x-24=0 \n" ); document.write( "x^2+6x-4x-24=0 \n" ); document.write( "(x+6)(x-4)=0 \n" ); document.write( "x= 4 original number of farmers \n" ); document.write( " |