document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1186883>Question 1186883</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> The ratio of the number of blue sticks to the number of green sticks in a box was<BR>\n" );
document.write( "4:1. When David took out some blue and sticks and replaced them with an equal <BR>\n" );
document.write( "number of green sticks, the ratio of the number of blue sticks to the number of<BR>\n" );
document.write( "green sticks became 3:1. If there were 185 green sticks in the box now,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(a)    find the total number of blue and green sticks in the box,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(b)    find the number of green sticks in the box at first. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #820023 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><B>greenestamps(13200)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><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=greenestamps><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=820023\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The solution from the other (new) tutor contains several errors, including using the given information incorrectly.  Don't spend too much time trying to figure out what he was trying to do with his solution.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Initially, the ratio of blue to green sticks was 4:1, so<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "let 4x = # of blue sticks initially<BR>\n" );
document.write( "let x = # of blue sticks initially<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "David took out some blue sticks and replaced them with green sticks:<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "let y = # of sticks that were switched<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Then<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "4x-y = # of blue sticks remaining<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x+y = # of green sticks remaining<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The number of blue sticks remaining was 3 times the number of green sticks:<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "4x-y=3(x+y)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "4x-y=3x+3y<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x=4y<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Since x=4y, the initial numbers of sticks were 16y blue and 4y green.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "After y sticks were switched from blue to green, the numbers of sticks were 15y blue and 5y green.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "At the end, the number of green sticks was 185:<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "5y=185<BR>\n" );
document.write( "y=37<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Now we can answer the questions....<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "ANSWERS:<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "(a) total number of sticks: 16y+4y initially, or 15y+5y at the end, so 20y = 20(37)=740<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "(b) number of green sticks initially: 4y=4(37)=148<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );