SOLUTION: Sarah and Bryan went shopping and spent a total of $47.50. Bryan spent $15.50 less than what Sarah spent. How much did Bryan spend. The teacher says the answer is $16. How did she

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Question 1108413: Sarah and Bryan went shopping and spent a total of $47.50. Bryan spent $15.50 less than what Sarah spent. How much did Bryan spend. The teacher says the answer is $16. How did she come up with that?
Found 2 solutions by ikleyn, greenestamps:
Answer by ikleyn(52898) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

Brian + Sarah = 47.50 B + (B + 15.50) = 47.50 2B + 15.50 = 47.50 2B = 47.50 - 15.50 = 32 ====> N = = 16.

Solved.

Answer by greenestamps(13214) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

There are many ways your teacher might have come up with the answer; we don't know which one she used....

One method you can use is logical analysis. Sarah spent $15.50 more than Bryan; so if we subtract that "extra" $15.50 from the total of $47.50, what is left is equal amounts spent by each of them:

Bryan spent $16; Sarah spent $16+$15.50 = $31.50; together they spent $16 + $31.50 = $47.50.

Algebraically, since the question asks for how much Bryan spent, it is probably easiest to us that as our variable. So
let x = amount Bryan spent
then x+15.50 = amount Sarah spent
The total spent by the two of them was $47.50; write and solve the equation that says so: