SOLUTION: We are having trouble figuring out the steps to solve this word problem: Darlene had some marbles before she won an additional 17 from Joe. Darlene then lost one third of he

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Question 790740: We are having trouble figuring out the steps to solve this word problem:
Darlene had some marbles before she won an additional 17 from Joe. Darlene then lost one third of her marbles to her brother. If Darlene now has 34 marbles, how many had she when she started?
Please help! We don't even know how to begin to solve this.
Found 2 solutions by solver91311, stanbon:
Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Darlene had some marbles:

Darlene won 17:

Darlene lost 1/3 of her marbles to her brother, so she retained 2/3: .

And that amount is equal to 34, so:

.

Solve for

John

Egw to Beta kai to Sigma
My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it

Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Darlene had some marbles before she won an additional 17 from Joe. Darlene then lost one third of her marbles to her brother. If Darlene now has 34 marbles, how many had she when she started?
Please help! We don't even know how to begin to solve this.
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Start at the beginning. Symbolize the steps. Geneate an equation. Solve it.
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Start:: x marbles
Step 1: x + 17 marbles
Step 2: (x+17)-(1/3)(x+17) = (2/3)(x+17)
Step 3: (2/3)(x+17) = 34
Step 4: x+17 = (3/2)(34
x+17 = 3(17)
x = 2*17 = 34 (# of marbles she started with)
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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