SOLUTION: A pear farm contains 126 trees. The number of trees per row is five more than the number of rows. Find the number of rows.

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Question 235566: A pear farm contains 126 trees. The number of trees per row is five more than the number of rows. Find the number of rows.
Answer by Stitch(470) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Setup:
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A = Number of Rows
B = Number of Trees per row
Equation 1: A%2AB+=+126
Equation 2: A+=+B+-+5
Solution:
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Plug (B-5) into Equation 1 for A
A%2AB+=+126
%28B-5%29%2AB+=+126 Rewrite the equation
B%5E2-5B+=+126 Set the equation to 0 by subtract 126 from both sides
B%5E2-5B+-126+=+0
Find the factors of 126
The factors are: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 14, 18 21, 42,63,126
Notice that 9 and 14 are the factors that are 5 apart and we have a -5B
So the equation can be foiled
B%5E2-5B+-126+=+0
B%5E2-5B+-126+=+0+=+%28B%2B9%29%2A%28B-14%29
Looking at %28B%2B9%29%2A%28B-14%29+=+0 we see two solutions
B+%2B+9+=+0 rewritten as B+=+-9
& B+-+14+=+0 rewritten as B+=+14
Since we can not have a negative number of trees, we will use B = 14
Now plug 14 into equation 2 for B
Equation 2: A+=+B+-+5
A+=+14+-+5
A+=+9
Check your answer:
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Using A = 9 & B = 14 Solve equation 1
Equation 1: A%2AB+=+126
14+%2A+9+=+126
126+=+126