document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=590798>Question 590798</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I am having a terrible time doing word problems in algebra, simple for some but not for me. Could someone please help with two problems, thank you very much.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "A university bookstore recently sold a wire bound graph-paper notebook for $2.50, and a college-ruled notebook for $2.30.  At the start of spring semester, a combination of 50 of these notebooks were sold for a total of $118.60.  How many of each type were sold?\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "A bricklayer and an electrician together spend 90 hours working on a new house.  If the bricklayer earns $12 per hour, the electrician earns $16 an hour, and the owner pays them a total of $1350 for their work, how many hours does each worker spend on the house?       </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #375266 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><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=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=375266\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> A university bookstore recently sold a wire bound graph-paper notebook for $2.50, and a college-ruled notebook for $2.30. At the start of spring semester, a combination of 50 of these notebooks were sold for a total of $118.60. How many of each type were sold?\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "w = number of wire bound notebooks.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "c = number of college ruled notebooks.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "total of 50 notebooks were sold for $118.60.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "your equations are:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2.50w + 2.30c = 118.60<BR>\n" );
document.write( "w + c = 50<BR>\n" );
document.write( "these are 2 equations that need to be solved simultaneously.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "you can use substitution.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "from the second equation, solve for w to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "w = 50 - c<BR>\n" );
document.write( "substitute for w in the first equation to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2.50*(50-c) + 2.30c = 118.60<BR>\n" );
document.write( "simplify to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "125 - 2.50c + 2.30c = 118.60<BR>\n" );
document.write( "combine like terms to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "125 - .20c = 118.60<BR>\n" );
document.write( "subtract 125 from both sides of the equation to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( ".20c = -6.4<BR>\n" );
document.write( "divide both sides of the equation by -.20 to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "c = -6.4/-.20 = 32<BR>\n" );
document.write( "since w + c = 50, this means that w equals 18.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "you have w = 18 and c = 32<BR>\n" );
document.write( "w + c = 18 + 32 = 50<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2.50*w + 2.30*c = 118.60 becomes:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2.50*18 + 2.30*32 = 118.60<BR>\n" );
document.write( "answer is good.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "18 wire bound notebooks are sold<BR>\n" );
document.write( "32 college ruled notebooks are sold.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "A bricklayer and an electrician together spend 90 hours working on a new house. If the bricklayer earns $12 per hour, the electrician earns $16 an hour, and the owner pays them a total of $1350 for their work, how many hours does each worker spend on the house? \r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "x = number of hours the bricklayer works<BR>\n" );
document.write( "y = number of hours the electrician works<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x + y = 90<BR>\n" );
document.write( "12x + 16y = 1350<BR>\n" );
document.write( "you have 2 equations that need to be solved simultaneously.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "you can solve by substitution.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "solve for y in the first equation to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "y = 90 - x<BR>\n" );
document.write( "substitute for y in the second equation to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "12x + 16*(90-x) = 1350<BR>\n" );
document.write( "simplify to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "12X + 1440 - 16X = 1350<BR>\n" );
document.write( "combine like terms to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "-4x + 1440 = 1350<BR>\n" );
document.write( "subtract 1440 from both sides of the equation to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "-4x = 1350 - 1440 = -90<BR>\n" );
document.write( "divide both sides of the equation by -4 to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x = 22.5<BR>\n" );
document.write( "since x + y = 90, this means that y is equal to 90 - 22.5 = 67.5<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x = 22.5<BR>\n" );
document.write( "y = 67.5<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x + y = 90<BR>\n" );
document.write( "12*x + 16*y = 1350<BR>\n" );
document.write( "12*22.5 + 16*67.5 = 270 + 1080 = 1350<BR>\n" );
document.write( "answers are good.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "bricklayer works 22.5 hours<BR>\n" );
document.write( "electrician works 67.5 hours\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );