document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1190228>Question 1190228</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> A full box of ball bearings weighs 21 pounds.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The box plus 1/3 of the ball bearings weighs<BR>\n" );
document.write( "9 pounds. How much does the box alone weigh?<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a) 4 pounds<BR>\n" );
document.write( "b) 3 pounds <BR>\n" );
document.write( "c) 5 pounds<BR>\n" );
document.write( "d) 6 pounds<BR>\n" );
document.write( "e) 2 pounds </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #821824 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=math_tutor2020><B>math_tutor2020(3817)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=math_tutor2020><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/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=821824\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <font color=black size=3><BR>\n" );
document.write( "This question was answered previously at this link<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<a  rel=nofollow HREF= \"https://www.algebra.com/algebra/homework/Percentage-and-ratio-word-problems/Percentage-and-ratio-word-problems.faq.question.1190207.html\">https://www.algebra.com/algebra/homework/Percentage-and-ratio-word-problems/Percentage-and-ratio-word-problems.faq.question.1190207.html</a><BR>\n" );
document.write( "If you want another tutor's viewpoint, then I apologize and you can ignore the rest of the post below.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "If you want another approach, then here's one possibility:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Since we're given multiple choice answers, we can go through each of them to see if they work or not.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "---------------\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Choice A)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "If the empty box was 4 pounds, and a box full of ball bearings is 21 pounds, that gives 21-4 = 17 pounds for all the ball bearings alone.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "One-third of this is (1/3)*17 = 5.667 approximately which is not a whole number. This fact allows us to cross choice A off the list. \r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Note how 5.667+4 = 9.667 is fairly close to 9, which seems to suggest the final answer is close to 4 pounds.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "---------------\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Choice B)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "If the empty box was 3 pounds, then 21-3 = 18 pounds is the weight of all the bearings only. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "1/3 of 18 = 6 pounds<BR>\n" );
document.write( "3 + 6 = 9 pounds when the box is 1/3 full.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<font color=red>This shows that <u>choice B</u> is the answer.</font>\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "---------------\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Choice C through E will follow identical steps, just with different numbers of course.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The conclusion of each is that the numbers don't match up.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "So we can cross these off the list as well.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( " <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Choice D will produce whole number results. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "Everything else will involve decimals or fractions.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "</font><BR>\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );