SOLUTION: A certain two-digit number has a value that is three times the sum of its digits. The units digit is one more than tree times the tens digit. Find the number.

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Question 243221: A certain two-digit number has a value that is three times the sum of its digits. The units digit is one more than tree times the tens digit. Find the number.
Answer by oberobic(2304) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Solving "sum of digits" problems hinges on remembering that any number is simply a representation of the number of ones, the number of tens, the numbers of hundreds, etc. A 2-digit number like 23 really means 2*10 + 3*1 = 23.
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Let x = tens, and y = ones. We could say the number xy = 23, Each x is valued at 10y, and y is valued at 1. So the representation 23 would mean x = 2 = 2*10y = 2*10*1 = 20. True.
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In this case we have a two-digit number, xy, that has a value '3 times the sum of its digits'. That means the value of the expression is 3 * sum of digits.
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N.B. When we show 'xy' in this context, we only mean 'x' sitting next to 'y', not x times y.
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The sum of digits is simply x + y.
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Since we know each x is worth 10 and each y is worth 1, then we can say
10x + y = 3 * (x + y)
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At this point we have only one equation, and it has two unknowns. That is unsolvable. But looking back at the problem we see another relationship is given. y = 3x+1. (The units digit is one more (+1) than 3 times the tens digit (3x).)
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Now we can substitute that fact into our equation.
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10x + 3x+1 = 3 * (x + 3x+1)
10x + 3x +1 = 3x + 9x + 3
13x + 1 = 12x + 3
x = 2
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We know from the setup that:
y = 3x + 1
y = 3*2 + 1
y = 7
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So the 2-digit number is xy = 27.
Remember! This is NOT x times y, but just x beside y.
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Now we have to check our work.
What is the sum of digits? 2+7 = 9
What is 3 times the sum of digits? 3*9 = 27
Is that the same as xy? YES!
Done.