Question 1054986
let x = the number of tons of cargo that each barge can carry in one load.


each barge carried 3 loads each.


the total tons of cargo carried was therefore 3 * 25 * x which is equal to 75 * x.


if each barge had been able to carry 160 more tons per load, then the 25 barges would only have had to carry 1 load apiece.


the total tons of cargo carried would therefore have been 1 * 25 * (x + 160) which is equal to 25 * (x + 160).


since the total tons of cargo that was unloaded had to be the same, you get:


75 * x = 25 * (x + 160).


simplify to get 75 * x = 25 * x + 4000


subtract 25 * x from both sides of the equation to get 50 * x = 4000


divide both sides of the equation by 50 to get x = 80.


each barge was able to carry 80 tons of cargo in each load.


the total tons of cargo carried was therefore 25 * 3 * 80 = 6000 tons.


if each barge were able to carry 160 more tons each, then each barge would have been able to carry 80 + 160 = 240 tons of cargo each.


they would then have only had to take 1 load each.


25 * 1 * 240 = 6000 total tons of cargo.


either way, 6000 tons of cargo would have been unloaded.


the ship's cargo therefore had to weigh 6000 tons.