document.write( "Question 636187: A group of sailors is planning to share equally the cost of a $45,000 sailboat. When four sailors dropped out of the group, the cost per sailor increased by $3,000. How many sailors were in the original group = \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #400827 by stanbon(75887)\"\" \"About 
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A group of sailors is planning to share equally the cost of a $45,000 sailboat. When four sailors dropped out of the group, the cost per sailor increased by $3,000. How many sailors were in the original group =
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\n" ); document.write( "Let original number be \"x\":
\n" ); document.write( "Average cost = 45000/x dollars
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\n" ); document.write( "Size of new group is \"x-4\"
\n" ); document.write( "Average cost = 45000/(x-4)
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\n" ); document.write( "Equation:
\n" ); document.write( "new average - old average = 3000
\n" ); document.write( "45000/(x-4) - 45000/x = 3000
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\n" ); document.write( "45000x - 45000(x-4) = 3000x(x-4)
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\n" ); document.write( "4*45000 = 3000x^2 - 12000x
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\n" ); document.write( "x^2 - 4x - 60 = 0
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\n" ); document.write( "(x-10)(x+6) = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Positive solution:
\n" ); document.write( "x = 10 (# in the original group)
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\n" ); document.write( "Cheers,
\n" ); document.write( "Stan H. \n" ); document.write( "
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