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HOSP 1107 (Business Math)

Learning Centre

Chapter 2: Solving Algebraic


Equations & Word Problems
Every equation has a left side, an equal sign, and a right side. The equal sign tells us
that the value of the left side is the same as the right side. (Imagine a set of perfectly
balanced scales.) Algebra uses equations to describe relationships between variables
and numbers; it allows us to solve for unknown variables. Below is an equation:
5a 11 = 13 + 3a
To solve an equation for a variable (find its value), the basic plan is to isolate the
variable on one side of the equation and make the coefficient next to the variable equal
to 1. We do this by adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing until we isolate the
variable. The key thing to remember is that anything you do to the one side of the
equation must be done to the other side. If you dont do the same math operation to
both sides, you are making the equation untrue (no longer equal).
Example: Solve the equation above.
Solution:
(1) Combine like terms. Subtracting 3a from both sides brings all the variables to one
side where they can be combined.
5a 3a 11 = 13 + 3a 3a
2a 11 = 13
(2) Next, add 11 to both sides to combine the number terms and isolate the variable.
2a 11 + 11 = 13 + 11
2a = 24
(3) Last, divide both sides by 2 to bring the coefficient of a to 1.
2a 2 = 24 2
a = 12
An algebraic expression may also require simplification before solving. For instance, if
there are fractions in the expression, multiply each term of the equation by the lowest
common denominator to make solving the equation easier.
4

Example: Solve 5 2 = 10 + 4
Solution:
(1) Since this equation involves fractions, the first step is to find the lowest common
denominator and multiply every term by it. LCD = 20
4
3
7
1
20 20 = 20 + 20
5
2
10
4
16 30 = 14 + 5
(2) Subtract 5x from both sides to bring all the xs to the same side and combine:
16 30 5 = 14 + 5 5
2014 Vancouver Community College Learning Centre.
Student review only. May not be reproduced for classes.

Authored by Emily Simpson


& Gordon Wong

11 30 = 14
(3) Isolate the variable by adding 30 to both sides. Then divide by 11 to bring the
coefficient of the variable to 1.
11 30 + 30 = 14 + 30
11 = 44
11
44
=
11
11
=4

The same rules still apply when there is more than one variable in a problem (say, A
and C) and you are asked to solve for one variable (A) in terms of another variable (in
this case, C). Just remember to treat the variable you are NOT interested in solving for
like a number.
Example: Solve the following equation for A:
3
0 = 2 ( + 4)
Solution:
(1) We want to isolate A on one side. To do this, we do BEDMAS backwards:
everything outside the brackets first, addition and subtraction before
multiplication and division. The first step is adding C to both sides.
3
( + 4) +
2
3
= ( + 4)
2

0+ =

(2) To get to A, we can either multiply 3/ 2 through the terms in the bracket and then
isolate A, or we can save ourselves some work by multiplying each side by the
reciprocal fraction, 2/ 3 , to remove the coefficient in front of the brackets.
2
2 3
= ( + 4)
3
3 2
2
=+4
3
(3) Finish isolating A by subtracting 4 from each side.
2
4=+44
3
2 12
=
3

2014 Vancouver Community College Learning Centre.


Student review only. May not be reproduced for classes.

Practice Problems
Solve each of the following equations.
1. 13x = 26
2. 8x = 32
4
3. = 24
3
4. + 12 = 20
5. 2x + 15 = 33
6. 5y + 7 = 12y 3
7. 4s + 9 = 13s 11 5s
8. 4(3x + 7) = 2x + 58
9. 6 8(2x 4) = 58
10. 4(5z 9) 3(2z + 8) = 108

11. +

12. +
1

1
5

= 36

4
3

13. +
3

7
2

=
7

14. + 4 =
8
5

+
21

221
24

15. (4 3)
6

2
5

2
3

1
2

16

(3 4) = 6 (1 + 3)
15

Solve each of the following equations for the indicated variable.



2
(a) = 12 2
for d
(e) =
for m
5
(b) A = 2r
for r
(f) = ( 32) 9
for F
(c) S = P(1 + rt) for P
(d) S = P(1 + rt) for r
Solutions
1. x = 2 2. x = 4
7. s = 5 8. x = 3
13. x = 1 14. x = 5
1 2

(a) =
9

(f) = 5 + 32

(b) =

3. x = 18
9. x = 6
15. x = 1/ 4

4. x = 8
10. z = 12

(c) = 1+

5. x = 9
11. x = 30

(d) =

6. y = 10/ 7
12. z = 3/ 2
(e) =

SOLVING WORD PROBLEMS


When you first read a word problem, the amount of information can be overwhelming.
Read it a couple of times and break it down into the following pieces to make it easier:
What are you supposed to find? What facts are given? What facts are implied? Then
use a systematic approach to write the equation(s) describing the relationships between
quantities in the problem. The following steps should be useful.
Step 1: Define the variable for the unknown quantity. Be clear about what the
variable means (write it down)! For instance, saying x is the hamburgers
and y is the hot dogs is too general. Is it how many of each there are? Their
cost? The number of calories in each? Be specific.

2014 Vancouver Community College Learning Centre.


Student review only. May not be reproduced for classes.

Step 2: Identify any vocabulary words whose definition might be important in setting
up equations like net sales, gross sales, dividends, etc.
Step 3: Translate the words in the problem into one or more equations. A good rule
is that each sentence will be at least one equation. Remember you need
as many equations as you have unknowns to be able to solve for them all
if there are two unknowns, youll need two equations.
Step 4: Solve your equations. For two- or three-variable problems, this means
substituting one (or more) equations into another equation. Once you find
one variable, use it to find the remaining variable(s). Make sure the number
you found is what was asked for.
The table below lists some common words associated with math operations.
Keywords and what they generally mean in word problems
Addition
The sum of
The total of
Increased by
More/more than
Added to
Exceeds
Expands
Greater than
Gain/profit
Longer

Subtraction
Less than
Decreased by
Subtracted from
Difference between
Diminished by
Take away
Reduced by
Less/minus
Loss
Lower

Multiplication
Times
Multiplied by
[Fraction] of
[Percent] of
The product of
Twice
Double
Triple
Half

Division
Divide(s)
Divided by
Divided
into
Half of
Third
Per
Ratio

Equality
Equals
Is/was/are
Is equal to
The result is
What is left
What remains
The same as
Gives/giving
Makes
Leaves

NOTES:
1. The word and is usually used as a conjunction: The product of 4 and c = 4c. It is
also commonly used to represent addition (as in two and two are four).
2. 15 more than a number may be written 15 + n or n + 15.
3. 15 less than a number is 15 n, not n 15.
4. To treat an expression as a single number, use parentheses: Twice the sum of b
and c is 2(b + c).
Example: This months price per barrel of oil has increased by one-twentieth of last
months price to $88.56. Find last months price per barrel of oil.
Solution:
(1) Unknowns: Let p represent last months price per oil barrel.
(2) Translate: This months price has increased by (1/ 20 )p. The price for this month
would be written as p + (1/ 20 )p, or p(1 + 1/ 20 )
(3) Set up the equation: we have the algebraic expression for this months price on
one side and the number value of this months price on the other side.
p + 1/ 20 (p) = $88.56
(4) Solving the equation, we find: p = $84.34
Check the answer: $84.34(1 + 1/ 20 ) = $88.56 is true
2014 Vancouver Community College Learning Centre.
Student review only. May not be reproduced for classes.

Example: Sharim invested a total of $36,000 in two mutual funds. Her investment in the
Equity Fund is $8,000 more than three times her investment in the Bond Fund.
How much does Sharim invest in the Equity Fund?
Solution:
(1) Unknown: Let the amount invested in the Bond Fund be B. The amount invested
in the Equity Fund is E.
(2) Translate. Two unknowns mean we should have two equations to solve.
First equation
B + E = $36,000
Second equation
E = 8000 + 3B
(3) Solve the equation by substituting the second equation into the first
B + $8,000 + 3B = $36,000
4B = $28,000
B = $7,000
Therefore, investment in Equity Fund, E = 3($7,000) + $8,000 = $29,000
Check: Total invested = $7,000 + $29,000 = $36,000 = total invested (correct)
Answer: Sharim invested $29,000 in the Equity Fund.

Practice Problems

1. The Vancouver Junior Hockey League spent $2,364 on hockey pucks. Lower-quality
practice pucks cost $18 each, while high quality game pucks cost $26 each. If the
League purchased 110 pucks in total, how many pucks of each type did they buy?
2. A. Vespucci bought two shirts online. A shipping fee of $5 per shirt was charged.
HST of 12% was also charged on the shirt price and the shipping fee. If the total cost
for two shirts was $113.12, what was the price per shirt?
3. Kate and Margo agree to open a bakery together. The partnerships capital is
$65,000. If the partnership agreement stipulates that Kate invest $1,600 less than
four-fifths of what Margo invests, how much did they each invest?
4. Max Planck spent $2,703 on different grade light bulbs for his experiment. He
bought nine more fifteen-dollar bulbs than two times the number of ten-dollar bulbs
and twenty-eight fewer eighteen-dollar bulbs than four-thirds the number of tendollar bulbs. How many of each type did he buy?
5. After selling $3 tickets to an event, Charlie Brown has $116 in his cash box, made
up of quarters, loonies ($1 coins), and toonies ($2 coins). How many quarters does
he have if the number of toonies is four more than one-third the number of loonies,
and the number of quarters is sixteen fewer than four times the number of loonies?

2014 Vancouver Community College Learning Centre.


Student review only. May not be reproduced for classes.

Solutions
1. Let L represent low quality pucks. High quality pucks, H = 110 L. The total amount
spent on pucks is $18L + $26H = $2364. Substitute the expression for H into the
dollar value equation. Solve for L.
L= 62 pucks, H = 48 pucks
2. $113.12 2 = $56.56 (total cost for one shirt)
Let P = price of one shirt
$56.56 = P + $5 + 0.12(P + $5); P = $45.50/shirt
3. Let K be the amount Kate invests and M the amount Margo invests.
K + M = $65,000
K = 4 5 M $1600
Substitute the expression for K into the total investment equation and solve for M.
Margo invests $37,000; Kate invests $28,000.
4. Unknowns: t = quantity of $10 bulbs, f = quantity of $15 bulbs, e = quantity of $18
bulbs
$10t + $15f + $18e = $2703
f = 2t + 9
e = 4 3 t 28
Substitute the expressions for f and e into the total cost equation and solve for t, the
quantity of $10 bulbs. Plug in the value for t into the equations for f and e, and find
those values.
Answer: t = 48 ; f = 105 ; e = 36
5. Let Q = number of quarters, L = number of loonies, T = number of toonies.
$116 = $0.25Q + $1L + $2T (or 11600 = 25Q + 100L + 200T)
T = 1 3 L + 4
Q = 4L 16
Take the expression for T and Q and substitute into the dollar value equation and
solve for L. Coin quantities: 152 quarters, 42 loonies, 18 toonies.

2014 Vancouver Community College Learning Centre.


Student review only. May not be reproduced for classes.

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