Question 209438
every wagon they owned was pressed into service. 
each wagon carried the same number of people.
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Starting number of people is xy
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halfway to the grounds 10 wagons broke down, so it was necessary for the remaining wagons to carry one more person.
xy = (x+1)(y-10)
xy = xy+y-10x-10
y-10x-10 = 0
y - 10x = 10
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when they started for home it was discovered that 15 more wagons were out of commission. so in the return trip there were three persons more in each wagon that when they started out in the morning.
xy = (x+3)(y-25)
xy = xy+3y-25x-75
3y - 25x = 75
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Solve this system of equations:
y - 10x = 10
3y -25x = 75
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Substitute y = 10x+10 into 3y-25x = 75 to solve for "x":
3(10x+10) -25x = 75
30x + 30 -25x = 75
5x = 45
x = 9 (# of people per wagon)
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Substitute into y = 10x+10 to solve for "y":
y = 10*9 + 10 = 100 (# of wagons at the start)
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the question is: how many people attended the great family picnic?
# at the picnic = xy = 9*100 = 900
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Cheers,
Stan H.
Reply to stanbon@comcast.net
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let x = number of people per wagon when they started.
let y = number of wagons when they started