document.write( "Question 1130227: My son is having a problem with one specific algebra problem. I have not done this in many years. Could you help? The problem is : The trees are fruit trees and today we collected 26 pieces of fruit. There were six more apples than pears. How many of each fruit did we collect? \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #746890 by ikleyn(52794) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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document.write( "Children in a kindergarten were not able to solve this problem.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then Santa Claus approached them. He took 6 apples from the basket and put them aside.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then he asked the children: can you solve it now ?\r\n" );
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document.write( "The smartest girl in the group answered:  \r\n" );
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document.write( "    Sure ! Now there is equal number of apples and pears in the basket, and the total is  (16-6) + 10 = 10 + 10 = 20.\r\n" );
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document.write( "           So, there are exactly 10 apples and 10 pears in the basket now.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Great! - Santa Claus said. - Now add that 6 apples !\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then the smartest boy in the group said:\r\n" );
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document.write( "    - I know the answer !  16 apples and 10 pears !\r\n" );
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document.write( "Good job ! - Santa Claus said.\r\n" );
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document.write( "He gave 1 cookie to each child from his bag and continued his way . . . \r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "If your son is pre-Algebra, then consider THIS solution:\r
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document.write( "Let \"x\" be the number of pears.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then the number of apples is  (x+6), according to the condition.\r\n" );
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document.write( "The total number of fruits is\r\n" );
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document.write( "    x + (x+6) = 26.\r\n" );
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document.write( "It is your basic equation,\r\n" );
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document.write( "and as soon as you got it, you just completed the setup.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Now simplify and solve it:\r\n" );
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document.write( "    2x + 6 = 26\r\n" );
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document.write( "    2x = 26 - 6\r\n" );
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document.write( "    2x = 20\r\n" );
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document.write( "    x = 20/2 = 10  pears.                    ANSWER\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then the number of apples is  10+6 = 16.     ANSWER\r\n" );
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