solve this problem on paper using all four steps.

a girl scout troop sold cookies. if the girls sold 5 more boxes the second week than they did the first, and if they doubled the sales of the second week for the third week to sell a total of 431 boxes of cookies, how many did they sell each week?

they sold boxes the first week, boxes the second week, and boxes the third week.

104 boxes were sold in week 1, 104+5=109 boxes were sold in week 2 and 109×2=218 boxes were sold in week 3.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sum of all boxes sold

x+(x+5)+2(x+5)=431

x+x+5+2x+10=431

4x+15=431

4x=431-15

4x=416

step-by-step explanation:

30% of $420 is 0.30($420) = $126 and $420 + $126 = $546.

or, 130% of $420 is 1.3($420) = $546.

notice that this is not the $600 original list price with which we started.

why doesn't this work?

the method does not work because 30% of $420 is not the same amount as the 30% of $600. it may seem obvious when stated this way, but it is a very common error made on problems of this type. we cannot just use the same percent and get back to the original amount because we are taking that percent of a different value.

to work problems of this type correctly, it is generally best to write an equation for the situation and then solve.

example: since (100% – 30%)(original price) = (sale price)

70% of the   (original price) is $420.

0.7x   = 420

equation image indicator

x = 600

the original cost was $600.

we may also solve this problem using the two-step method. working the problem in two steps requires us to use more algebra skills. we have to know that x = 1x (identity property of multiplicationtext annotation indicator) and that 1x – 0.3x = 0.7x (subtracting like terms). then we solve the problem as follows:

(original price) – 30%(original price) = sale price

x – 0.3x = 420

0.7x = $420

equation image indicator

x = 600

the original cost was $600.  

note that with both of the above methods we do obtain the correct original amount.

example: after a 5% pay raise, hermione is earning $22,680 per year. what was she earning before the pay raise?

105% of (original salary) = current salary

1.05x = 22,680

equation image indicator

x = 21,600

hermione earned $21,600 per year before the pay raise.

this is an example so maybe you will get how to at least do it!

x = -3

y = -18

step-by-step explanation:

to solve by substitution, substitute one variable and solve for the other. then substitute again to find the remaining variable.

x-1/3(3x-9) = -3 since y=3x-9 substittute y.

x-1/3(3x-9)=-3

x + x +3 = -3

2x+3=-3

2x+3-3= -3-3

2x=-6

x=-3

substitute again into y=3x-9

y=3(-3)-9

y=-9-9

y=-18