document.write( "Question 124484: Some students planned for a get-together. The budget for food was $500. Five of the students failed to come because of the distance and therefore the cost of food for each member increased by $5. How many students attended the get-together \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #91230 by stanbon(75887)\"\" \"About 
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Some students planned for a get-together. The budget for food was $500. Five of the students failed to come because of the distance and therefore the cost of food for each member increased by $5. How many students attended the get-together
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\n" ); document.write( "Let the number of students be \"x\".
\n" ); document.write( "Average cost was 500/x dollars.
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\n" ); document.write( "Five did not show so there were \"x-5\" students
\n" ); document.write( "Average cost was 500/(x-5)
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\n" ); document.write( "EQUATION:
\n" ); document.write( "Original cost per student - New cost per student = 5 dollars
\n" ); document.write( "500/x - 500/(x-5) = 5
\n" ); document.write( "100/x - 100/x-5 = 1
\n" ); document.write( "-500 = x(x-5)
\n" ); document.write( "x^2-5x+500=0
\n" ); document.write( "(x-25)(x+20) = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Positive answer:
\n" ); document.write( "x=25 (original number of students)
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\n" ); document.write( "Cheers,
\n" ); document.write( "Stan H.
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