document.write( "Question 1105576: Hi
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document.write( "ben and tom had a total of 144 sweets.ben gave tom 1/5 of what he had. Tom the gave ben 1/4 of what he had to ben. If both had an equal number of sweets in the end, how many did each of them have at first. \r
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document.write( "Thanks \n" );
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Algebra.Com's Answer #720440 by greenestamps(13200)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! \n" ); document.write( "There was an error in the algebra in the solution provided by the other tutor; the given answer does not satisfy the conditions in the problem. \n" ); document.write( "Let b and t represent the numbers Ben and Tom start out with, respectively: \n" ); document.write( "Start: \n" ); document.write( "Ben = b; \n" ); document.write( "Tom = t. \n" ); document.write( "Ben gives 1/5 of the number he has to Tom; after that: \n" ); document.write( "Ben = (4/5)b; \n" ); document.write( "Tom = t+(1/5)b. \n" ); document.write( "Tom now gives 1/4 of what he has -- which is (1/4)t+(1/20)b -- to Ben; after that: \n" ); document.write( "Ben = (4/5)b+(1/4)t+(1/20)b = (17/20)b+(1/4)t; \n" ); document.write( "Tom = (3/4)t+(3/20)b. \n" ); document.write( "At this point the two of them have the same number of sweets, 72. \n" ); document.write( "Ben: \n" ); document.write( "(1) \n" ); document.write( "Tom: \n" ); document.write( "(2) \n" ); document.write( "Solve (1) and (2) by elimination: \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "Ben started with 60 sweets; Tom with 84. \n" ); document.write( "Check: \n" ); document.write( "Start: Ben 60, Tom 84 \n" ); document.write( "After Ben gives 1/5 of his to Tom: Ben 60-12 = 48; Tom 84+12 = 96 \n" ); document.write( "After Tom gives 1/4 of his to Ben: Ben 48+24 = 72; Tom 96-24 = 72 \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |