SOLUTION: A man bought two dogs for $38. The small dog cost half as much as the large dog would have cost if the large dog would have been $5.00 cheaper. How much did the large dog cost?

Algebra ->  Coordinate Systems and Linear Equations  -> Linear Equations and Systems Word Problems -> SOLUTION: A man bought two dogs for $38. The small dog cost half as much as the large dog would have cost if the large dog would have been $5.00 cheaper. How much did the large dog cost?      Log On


   

Question 1030527: A man bought two dogs for $38. The small dog cost half as much as the large dog would have cost if the large dog would have been $5.00 cheaper. How much did the large dog cost?
Answer by josgarithmetic(39623) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
x, price for small dog
y, price for large dog

Putting attention on the second sentence:
half as much as the large dog if large dog were y-5...
Translates or transcribes as something=%281%2F2%29%28y-5%29.

Small dog cost..., and that transcribed part:
highlight_green%28x=%281%2F2%29%28y-5%29%29.

The hard part is now taken out of the way, so deal with the first sentence.
x%2By=38
and all you need to do is make the substitution for x, the expression described for the cost of the small dog in terms of the large dog price.

highlight_green%28%281%2F2%29%28y-5%29%2By=38%29-----------continuing from here is no big chore. Analyzing and forming this equation is the big chore.