Question 1172492:  Hi 
Jenny set aside a fixed proportion of her salary on food. It was 20% of her salary. When her salary increased by 10% her food expenditure increased by $50. What was her original salary. Thanks  
 
 Found 3 solutions by  Theo, greenestamps, MathTherapy: Answer by Theo(13342)      (Show Source): 
You can  put this solution on YOUR website! let f = what she spent on food 
let s = her salary 
first equation is f = .2 * s 
when her salary increased by 10%, her food expenditure increased by 50 dollars. 
second equation is: 
f + 50 = .2 * 1.10 * s 
in the second equation, replace f with 2 * s from the first equation to get: 
.2 * s + 50 = .2 * 1.10 * s 
simplify to get: 
.2 * s + 50 = .22 * s 
subtract .2 * s from both sides of the equation to get: 
50 = .02 * s 
solve for s to get: 
s = 50 / .02 = 2500 
her salary was 2500 
her food expenditure was .2 * 2500 = 500 
when her salary went up 10%, her salary was 2500 * 1.10 = 2750. 
her food expenditure went up 50 dollars to be 550. 
550 / 2750 = .2 
the proportion remained the same, confirming the solution is correct. 
the solution is her original salary was 2500 dollars.
 
 
 
 Answer by greenestamps(13214)      (Show Source): 
You can  put this solution on YOUR website! 
  
The increase of $50 in her food expenditure was 20% = 1/5 of the increase in her salary, so the increase in her salary was 5($50) = $250.
  
The increase in her salary was 10% (1/10) of her original salary, so her original salary was 10($250) = $2500.
  
 
 Answer by MathTherapy(10557)      (Show Source): 
You can  put this solution on YOUR website! Hi 
Jenny set aside a fixed proportion of her salary on food. It was 20% of her salary. When her salary increased by 10% her food expenditure increased by $50. What was her original salary. Thanks  
Let original salary be S 
Then initial food expenditure was: .2S 
A 10% increase in salary makes new salary: 1.1S  
Since food expenditure increased by $50, new food expenditure = .2S + 50 
We then get: .2(1.1S) = .2S + 50 
.22S = .2S + 50 
.22S - .2S = 50 
.02S = 50 
Original salary, or    
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