Please Help

[kristine4898]

Lauren, Michael and Quinn entered a pie-eating contest. Lauren ate twice the pies that Michael ate and Quinn ate four more pies than Michael. If Lauren and Quinn ate the same amount of pies, how many pies did each person eat?

 

[Mrspi]

Lauren, Michael and Quinn entered a pie-eating contest. Lauren ate twice the pies that Michael ate and Quinn ate four more pies than Michael. If Lauren and Quinn ate the same amount of pies, how many pies did each person eat?

It's generally a good idea to start by assigning variables to things you don't know.....

Let L = pies eaten by Lauren
Let M = pies eaten by Michael
Let Q = pies eaten by Quinn

Now, there are some FACTS given in the problem...let's see if we can write those facts using mathematical symbols.

First fact: Lauren ate twice the pies that Michael ate

So, L = 2*M

Second fact: Quinn ate 4 more pies than Michael

So, Q = M + 4

Third fact: Lauren ate the same amount as Quinn. Or, the number of pies Lauren ate is the same as the number of pies Quinn ate

So, L = Q

Now, replace L with 2*M and replace Q with M + 4.

L = Q
becomes
2M = M + 4

Now, you continue.....

 

[HallsofIvy]

A very slightly different way of doing this: in stead of using "L", "M", and "Q" note that the number of pies Loren and Quinn are are both given in terms of Michael's: "Lauren ate twice the pies that Michael ate and Quinn ate four more pies than Michael." So if we let M be the number of pies Michael ate, we have immediately that Loren ate 2M pies and Quinn ate M+ 4. "Lauren and Quinn ate the same amount of pies" so 2M= M+ 4. Now what is M and how many pies did each eat?

 

[Deleted member 4993]

Yikes ..... Lauren and Quinn should eat some Alka-Seltzer too....