SOLUTION: To me this sounds complicated. I have tried every simplification I know but can't seem to get even one of the numbers. Problem: If you take the number of piles of jeans they hav

Algebra ->  Equations -> SOLUTION: To me this sounds complicated. I have tried every simplification I know but can't seem to get even one of the numbers. Problem: If you take the number of piles of jeans they hav      Log On


   

Question 207617: To me this sounds complicated. I have tried every simplification I know but can't seem to get even one of the numbers.
Problem: If you take the number of piles of jeans they have, and divide them up into two unequal numbers, then 1545 times the difference between the two numbers equals three times the difference between the squares of the two numbers.
Here's the equation I got:(a-b)1545=3(a^2-b^2). I'm solving for both a and b. Once found these numbers added will tell me how many piles of jeans they have. Can this be done? Any help will be appreciated.
Answer by Edwin McCravy(20056) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

You did  just fine with setting up the equation:

%28a-b%291545=3%28a%5E2-b%5E2%29

Then you factor the parentheses on the right:

%28a-b%291545=3%28a-b%29%28a%2Bb%29

You can divide both sides by a-b%29 because
since you are told that a and b are two unequal
numbers, a-b is not 0, so you can divide by it:

%28%28a-b%291545%29%2F%28a-b%29=%283%28a-b%29%28a%2Bb%29%29%2F%28a-b%29

 

1545=3%28a%2Bb%29

Divide through by 3

1545%2F3=3%28a%2Bb%29%2F3

515=%28cross%283%29%28a%2Bb%29%29%2Fcross%283%29

515=a%2Bb  

So you don't know what a and b are, and there is 
no way to find out. However that doesn't matter 
because you already have their sum, a+b, which 
is 515 pairs of jeans.

Edwin