Question

Javier has a basket of oranges and apples. The number of oranges is 2 more than twice the number of apples in the basket. The difference of half the number of oranges and half the number of apples is 4.
An equation created to find the number of apples Javier has in the basket will have

Answer 1

Number of oranges is (2a + 2)

Half the number of oranges is 1/2(2a + 2)

Half the number of apples is 1/2a

The difference between half the number of oranges and half the number of apples equals 4 looks like this:

1/2(2a + 2) - 1/2a = 4

Now solve.

1/2(2a + 2) - 1/2a = 4 (multiply 1/2 by what's inside the parenthesis)

1a + 1 - 1/2a = 4

1a + 1 -1 - 1/2a = 4 - 1

1a - 1/2a = 3

1/2a = 3

1/2a ÷ 1/2 = 3 ÷ 1/2

a = 6

He has 6 apples.

Substitute 6 into the equation for the number of oranges.

2a + 2

2(6) + 2 = 14

He has 14 oranges.

Check your work.

The difference between half the number of oranges (7) and half the number of apples (3) does indeed equal 4.

Therefore, the equation has one solution.