2 floor plans, 56 houses available; 3 times as many w/ 2nd

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myka333

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Oct 15, 2008
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I am going to write the entire problem out first and then tell you my problem.

Suppose you are in the market for a new home and are interested in a new housing community under construction in a different city.
(a) The sales representative informs you that there are two floor plans still available, and that there are a total of 56 houses available. Use x to represent floor plan # 1 and y to represent floor plan # 2. Write an equation that illustrates the situation.
(b) The sales representative later indicates that there are 3 times as many homes available with the second floor plan than the first. Write an equation that illustrates this situation. Use the same variables you used in part a.
(c) Use the equation from part a and b of this exercise as a system of equations. Use substitution to determine how many of each type of floor plan is available. Describe the steps you used to solve the problem.
(d) What are the intercepts of the equation from part a of this problem? What are the intercepts from part b of this problem? Where would the lines intersect if you solved the system by graphing?

Ok, so the answer to (a) is x+y= 56
I am not sure how to set up part (b)... I thought it would be x + 3y = 56. However, I have figured out the answer to the problem and I can not get the equation to reflect on it. How do I set up my problem?
The answer to (c) is x= 14 and y= 42

Can you help?
 
Re: I need help with this equation

You have two equations which do not make sense. If x+y=56, how can x+3y=56 unless y=0. The problem is poorly worded. It says "Use x to represent floor plan # 1 and y to represent floor plan # 2". Does x represent the number of houses with floor plan #1. If we are just calling the actual floor plans x and y, I don't see how you can write an equation for the first condition. In other words, it doesn't make sense to say "floor plan #1 plus floor plan #2 = whatever". How do you add floor plans? Maybe you get a new and much larger floor plan.

Now, then, I think this is the way it should be.
Name things.
x is the number of #1 floor plans.
y is the number of #2 floor plans.

1st equation >>> x+y=56
2nd equation >>> y=3x
Take it from there.
 
Re: I need help with this equation

Loren said:
... How do you add floor plans?
Click to expand...

Well, this is an "Advanced Math" post, after all ... :twisted:
 
mmm4444bot said:
Well, this is an "Advanced Math" post, after all ... :twisted: [/size]
Click to expand...
Topic moved to appropriate category.
 
Re: I need help with this equation

:roll: and what is the appropriate category? This is college algebra, do you not know how to do this, and that is why you are being mean? It is not about adding, it is the substitution of system of equations. I know the answer, just could not figure out how to set up the equation to get it to come out.
 
myka333 said:
and what is the appropriate category? This is college algebra...
Click to expand...
Since this is, as you admit, an algebra exercise, then probably one of the "algebra" categories would be appropriate. Hence, the algebra exercise was moved to an "algebra" forum.

myka333 said:
ado you not know how to do this...
Click to expand...
I'm sorry to hear that you are unable to view the reply, provided about an hour after your initial post. If you had been able to view that, you would of course been aware that of course the volunteers "know how to do this": that's how the tutor was able to provide you with an explanation and the complete set-up. For reference, the reply you couldn't see said the following:

The problem is poorly worded. It says "Use x to represent floor plan # 1 and y to represent floor plan # 2". Does x represent the number of houses with floor plan #1. If we are just calling the actual floor plans x and y, I don't see how you can write an equation for the first condition. In other words, it doesn't make sense to say "floor plan #1 plus floor plan #2 = whatever". How do you add floor plans? Maybe you get a new and much larger floor plan.

Now, then, I think this is the way it should be.
Name things.
x is the number of #1 floor plans.
y is the number of #2 floor plans.

1st equation >>> x+y=56
2nd equation >>> y=3x
Take it from there.
Click to expand...
myka333 said:
...and that is why you are being mean?
Click to expand...
I'm sorry to hear that somebody has been "mean" to you (presumably through the private-messaging system, since no hostility was evidenced within this thread until your last post). Please report the conduct to a moderator or the Admin. Thank you.

myka333 said:
It is not about adding, it is the substitution of system of equations.
Click to expand...
We are aware of what the exercise is, and the tutor never said that it was not about systems of equations; indeed, he provided you with the system to solve. Now please read the tutor's explanation fully, wherein he explained the manner in which the question is poorly-formed.

Thank you.

Eliz.
 
Re: I need help with this equation

I am sorry, but I was not responding to what the first reply was.... there were two other people that were not being very nice about my question.... I have never used this web site before and so I was unaware of which forum to post under... I chose the one that I thought was right.... yes, I too thought that the question was poorly worded, however that is how it was written in my assignment. I think it was because of the poor wording, that I was having a difficult time setting up the equation. In any case I think that I did figure it out and I only hope that in the future if I need to use this site for help, that I will post it in the correct forum so that people are not rude.
 
Re: I need help with this equation

If YOU post a problem that makes no sense, it is NOT YOU that makes no sense: it is the PROBLEM; get it ?
 
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