Question 147208
First set up an equation.  Since the sum of their hours is more than 27, and one artist worked three more hours than the other, set the artist with the least amount of time to x.  Setting up the equation, it should look like this: {{{x+x+3=27}}}.  Once you combine like terms, you get {{{2x+3=27}}}.   Subtract three from both sides and get {{{2x=24}}}. Then divide each side by 2 to isolate the variable (because nobody likes variables, they are weird, so everyone tries to stay away from them).  You should get {{{x=12}}}.  This is the amount of hours that one artist worked, and 15 is the amount the other artists worked, if 2x+3=27.  However, since it is actually an inequality, since {{{2x+3>27}}}, then the first artist worked over 12 hours and the second artist worked over 15 hours.