Question

Write an equation to represent the number of pages Jesse has read. Using x, the number of days Amir has been reading, write an expression to represent the number of days Jesse has been reading. Remember that Jesse started reading one day before Amir. Use this expression to write an equation for the number of pages Jesse has read. Let y represent the number of pages read.

Answer 1

Question:

Jesse and Amir were assigned the same book to read. Jesse started reading on Saturday, and he is reading 30 pages a day. Amir didn't start until Sunday, but he is reading 35 pages a day.

How many days will it take Amir to catch up to Jesse, and how many pages will they each have read?

Write an equation to represent the number of pages Amir has read. Use x to represent the number of days Amir has been reading and y to represent the number of pages he has read.

Answer:

It will take 6 days

Step-by-step explanation:

For Jesse:

$Rate = 30\ pages/day$

This implies that Jesse will cover 30y in y days

For Amir:

$Rate = 35\ pages/day$

This implies that Amir will cover 35x in x days

Because Amir starts a day later,

$y = x + 1$

So, we have the following equations:

$Jesse = 30y$

$Amir= 35x$

$y = x + 1$

To get the number of days when they read the same number of pages, we have:

$Jesse = Amir$

Substitute values for Jesse and Amir

$30y = 35x$

Substitute x + 1 for y

$30(x+1) = 35x$

Open bracket

$30x+30 = 35x$

Collect Like Terms

$30 = 35x-30x$

$30 = 5x$

Solve for x

$\frac{30}{5} = \frac{5x}{5}$

$\frac{30}{5} = x$

$6 = x$

$x = 6$