document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=514024>Question 514024</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Lily and Sara each had an equal amount of money at first. After Lily spent $18 and Sara spent $25. Lily had twice as much as Sara. How much money did each have at first?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I dont know how to complete this problem. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "I was thinking:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Lily = x-18y=36<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Sara= x-25y=<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Then I am stuck..... </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #343257 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=drcole><B>drcole(72)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-08.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=drcole><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=343257\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> You started on the right track, but you actually only need one variable.  Let x be the amount of money both Lily and Sara have at first.  We have a relationship in words between the amount of money Lily and Sara have now, and we need to convert this relationship into an algebraic equation.  First, Lily spent $18, so the amount of money Lily has now is x - 18.  Sara spent $25, so likewise the amount of money Sara has now is x - 25.  We know that Lily now has twice as much money as Sara, so we can write this fact algebraically as:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x+-+18+=+2%28x+-+25%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x+-+18+=+2%28x+-+25%29+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > (the amount of money Lily has now = two times the amount of money Sara has now)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Now we solve for x:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x+-+18+=+2x+-+50+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x+-+18+=+2x+-+50+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > (distribute the 2 on the right hand side)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+-18+=+x+-+50+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+-18+=+x+-+50+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > (subtract x from both sides)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+32+=+x+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+32+=+x+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > (add 50 to both sides)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So we got x = 32.  Does this make sense?  If both Lily and Sara started with $32, Lily would now have $32 - $18 = $14, while Sara would now have $32 - $25 = $7, so Lily would now have twice as much money as Sara.  Thus $32 is the answer. </SPAN>\n" );
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