Question

Tyrone works at a diner, as both a cashier and a host. He earns $7.95 per hour no matter which job he does. Tyrone wants to buy a new guitar that costs $238.50. The manager of the diner needs him to work for 18 hours next week as a cashier. If Tyrone wants to buy the guitar next week, how many hours would he need to work as a host? Explain in your essay the steps you would take to write and solve an algebraic equation, and using an arithmetic method. Compare and Contrast the sequence of operations you used in each approach. Did you get the same answer both times? (P.S its not really an essay but a long paragraph)

Answer 1

Here is my "essay" paragraph :P

Arithmetic method:

I would first find how much he would gain by working 18 hours as a cashier.

This is 18*7.95 or 144-0.90=143.10 dollars. Next, I would take this value away from 238.50 and get 238.50-143.10=95.40. Now I would divide this by 7.95 to get 12.

Algebraic method:

To make an equation, let's call the number of hours he works as a host x.

Then we get the equation 238.50 = (18 * 7.95) + (x * 7.95). Factor a 7.95 out on the right side, to get 238.50 = (18 + x) * 7.95. Now divide 7.95 on both sides to get 30 = 18 + x, so x = 12.

I got the same answer both ways, and my work was pretty much the same.