Weird Problem about basic algebra: Ann earns double her normal hourly pay for each ho

[edgartomfaulk]

I imagine I just missed something blatantly obvious but the problem is "Ann earns double her normal hourly pay for each hour that she works over 40 hours in a week. Last week, she worked 51 hours, and earned 202.50$. How much is her normal hourly pay?"
I thought it would just be 202.5/62 because the 11 hours would be multiplied into 22 because they are her double pay hours but that didn't work (it came out as an odd number that isn't right) so I tried a bunch of different tactics for solving the problem like also adding the 40th hour, multiplying it by a few different numbers and trying other values and equations to try to figure out how other people were solving the problem.

 

[edgartomfaulk]

Problem about money and pre-algebra

The problem is "Ann earns double her normal hourly pay for each hour that she works over 40 hours in a week. Last week, she worked 51 hours, and earned 202.50$. How much is her normal hourly pay?" Originally I tried what I thought would be the correct equation:
40x+2(51-40) * x =202.5 but that equaled a long number that I don't believe is the answer to the problem (I didn't finish dividing because it was getting too long). If anyone sees something that I missed that was blatantly obvious (Which is what I think happened) then that's probably it.

Your method is more or less correct (except you forgot add the second x in your equation).

However, please the check the problem for correctness again. The hourly rate is coming out to be too small (illegal)!!

 

[Deleted member 4993]

I imagine I just missed something blatantly obvious but the problem is "Ann earns double her normal hourly pay for each hour that she works over 40 hours in a week. Last week, she worked 51 hours, and earned 202.50$. How much is her normal hourly pay?"
I thought it would just be 202.5/62 because the 11 hours would be multiplied into 22 because they are her double pay hours but that didn't work (it came out as an odd number that isn't right) so I tried a bunch of different tactics for solving the problem like also adding the 40th hour, multiplying it by a few different numbers and trying other values and equations to try to figure out how other people were solving the problem.

How do you know that is not right? What number did you get?

 

[JeffM]

I imagine I just missed something blatantly obvious but the problem is "Ann earns double her normal hourly pay for each hour that she works over 40 hours in a week. Last week, she worked 51 hours, and earned 202.50$. How much is her normal hourly pay?"
I thought it would just be 202.5/62 because the 11 hours would be multiplied into 22 because they are her double pay hours but that didn't work (it came out as an odd number that isn't right) so I tried a bunch of different tactics for solving the problem like also adding the 40th hour, multiplying it by a few different numbers and trying other values and equations to try to figure out how other people were solving the problem.

What is the EXACT and COMPLETE wording of the problem? Pay particular attention that you have written down the correct numeric information.

 

[Jonathan]

Is "202.50" correct? Your method would give a reasonable answer if Anne earned "$201.50".