SOLUTION: Hi Bob and John want to buy a gift. If Bob buys it he will $20 short. If John buys it he will $34 short. If both buy they will $4 short. What is the cost of gift. Thanks

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Misc -> SOLUTION: Hi Bob and John want to buy a gift. If Bob buys it he will $20 short. If John buys it he will $34 short. If both buy they will $4 short. What is the cost of gift. Thanks       Log On

Ad: Over 600 Algebra Word Problems at edhelper.com


    

Question 1190045: Hi
Bob and John want to buy a gift. If Bob buys it he will $20 short. If John buys it he will $34 short. If both buy they will $4 short.
What is the cost of gift.
Thanks

Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, ikleyn:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39618) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
If either or any are short some money on their own then none of them can buy the gift.

You may be looking for a solution going like so:

p, the price for the gift

system%28b%2B20=p%2Cj%2B34=p%2Cb%2Bj%2B4=p%29

You can easily turn that into one single equation with only variable, p.

Answer by ikleyn(52794) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
Bob and John want to buy a gift. If Bob buys it he will $20 short.
If John buys it he will $34 short. If both buy they will $4 short.
What is the cost of gift.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


Let x be the price of the gift, in dollars.


Since Bob is 20 dollars short, he has  x-20 dollars;  

similarly, John has x-34 dollars.


Altogether, they have  (x-20) + (x-34) = 2x-54.


It is exactly x-4 dollars (since altogether they are 4 dollars short)

    2x- 54 = x - 4.


From this equation,

    x = 54 - 4 = 50.



ANSWER.  The gift costs 50 dollars.

Solved.

---------------

It is an entertainment problem - - - THEREFORE, a solution should be in semi-joking form . . .