document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1189297>Question 1189297</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Hi<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Stephen and Siew mei had $540 altogether. Stephen gave 1/7 of his money siew mei. In return siew mei gave 1/4 of the total amount she had to Stephen . Then they both had the same amount of money. How much did Stephen had at first.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Thanks </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #820637 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><B>greenestamps(13198)</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=820637\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "There are many ways to set up this problem for solving. The solution from the other tutor is fine, and is  a very typical solution.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "I personally would choose a different starting point by looking ahead at the transactions to perhaps make the algebra required for solving the problem a bit easier.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Specifically, since in the first transaction Stephen gives 1/7 of his money to Siew Mei, I would start with<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "let 7x = amount Stephen starts with<BR>\n" );
document.write( "then 540-7x = amount Siew Mei starts with<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "In the first transaction, Stephen gives 1/7 of his money, x, to Siew Mei.  The amounts the two have are now 6x for Stephen and 540-6x for Siew Mei.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Next Siew Mei gives 1/4 of her money, 135-1.5x, to Stephen.  The amounts they have are now 135+4.5x for Stephen and 405-4.5x for Siew Mei.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The amounts they have now are the same, so they are both half of $540, which is $270.  So we can either solve the equation that says those two expressions are equal; or we can solve an equation that says one of those two expressions is equal to 540/2=270.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=135%2B4.5x=270 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"135%2B4.5x=270\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4.5x=135 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4.5x=135\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=9x=270 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"9x=270\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=30 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=30\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "ANSWER: The amount Stephen started with was 7x=$210<br><BR>\n" );
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