document.write( "Question 807325: Taylor collected 3 times as many pebbles as Marco. Gina collected 21 fewer pebbles than Taylor. They collected 427 pebbles altogether. How many pebbles did Gina collect?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "I am a parent and need to be able to show my 6th grader how to solve this problem; not just an answer, please. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #486319 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
First assign a variable for the no. of pebbles each had
\n" ); document.write( "t = Taylor's pebbles
\n" ); document.write( "m = Marco's
\n" ); document.write( "g = Gino's
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "Write an equation for each statement.
\n" ); document.write( "Taylor collected 3 times as many pebbles as Marco.
\n" ); document.write( "t = 3m
\n" ); document.write( " Gina collected 21 fewer pebbles than Taylor.
\n" ); document.write( "g = t - 21
\n" ); document.write( " They collected 427 pebbles altogether.
\n" ); document.write( "t + m + g = 147
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "How many pebbles did Gina collect?
\n" ); document.write( "We want to get varibles g and m in terms of t, then we have only one variable to deal with.
\n" ); document.write( "g = (t-21) so that one is OK,
\n" ); document.write( " however
\n" ); document.write( "3m = t
\n" ); document.write( "divide both sides by 3
\n" ); document.write( "m = t/3
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "In the last equation, replace g with (t-21) and m with t/3
\n" ); document.write( "t + (t-21) + t/3 = 147
\n" ); document.write( "Get rid of the fraction, multiply by 3 and you have
\n" ); document.write( "3t + 3(t-21) + t = 3(147)
\n" ); document.write( "3t + 3t - 63 + t = 441
\n" ); document.write( "7t = 441 + 63
\n" ); document.write( "7t = 504
\n" ); document.write( "t = 504/7
\n" ); document.write( "t = 72 pebbles for Taylor
\n" ); document.write( "then
\n" ); document.write( "m = 72/3
\n" ); document.write( "m = 24 pebbles for Marco
\n" ); document.write( "and
\n" ); document.write( "g = 72 - 21
\n" ); document.write( "g = 51 pebbles for Gina
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "The last step is to check and see if:
\n" ); document.write( "72 + 24 + 51 = 147
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( ":
\n" ); document.write( "This is a common method in solving these multi-variable equations, you can
\n" ); document.write( "see that it is pretty logical, if you follow each step. CK \n" ); document.write( "
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