SOLUTION: Can you please provide me with a formula that I can use to solve this, and similar, problems? Thanks sooo much! The high school baseball team played 6 fewer games this year th

Algebra ->  Expressions-with-variables -> SOLUTION: Can you please provide me with a formula that I can use to solve this, and similar, problems? Thanks sooo much! The high school baseball team played 6 fewer games this year th      Log On


   

Question 457864: Can you please provide me with a formula that I can use to solve this, and similar, problems? Thanks sooo much!

The high school baseball team played 6 fewer games this year than last year but won 60% of the games played, compared with 50% of its games last year. The team won one more game this year than last year. How many games did the team play each year?
Answer by josmiceli(19441) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let a = number of games played this year
given:
Last year team played this many games:
+a+%2B+6+
Games won this year:
+.6a+
Games won last year:
+.5%2A%28a+%2B+6%29+
and
+.6a+=+.5%2A%28a+%2B+6%29+%2B+1+
+.6a+=+.5a+%2B+3+%2B+1+
+.1a+=+4+
+a+=+40+
+a+%2B+6+=+46+
the team played 40 games this year and 46 last year
check answer:
This year they won 60% of games played
+.6%2A40+=+24+
They won 50% of games played last year:
+.5%2A%2840+%2B+6%29+=+23+
They won one more game this year than last year:
+24+-+23+=+1+
OK