word problems: The larger of two numbers is one less than

G

Guest

Guest
I would appreciate help with the following:

1) The larger of two numbers is one less than three times the smaller. If three times the larger is 5 more than eight times the smaller, find the numbers.

This is what I came up with:

smaller number: x
larger number: 3x - 1

3(3x - 1) + 5 = 8x

answer -2. Is that right?

Also can you check the following for me:

2) Jose is four years older than Catherine. If four times Catherine's age is substracted from 5 times Jose's age, the difference if 32 years. Find the ages of each.

catherine's age: x
jose's age: x + 4

5(x + 4) - 4x = 32

Answer x = 12, so Catherine is 12 and José is 16.

Did I do this one right?

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!
 
found right answer

I found the right answer. For those of you learning off this site, the first equation was wrong. Because the word "is" comes before the "5 more than eight times the smaller", it should be part of the other side of the equation.

answer equation
3(3x-1) = 8x + 5

9x - 3 = 8x + 5

9x - 8x = 5 + 3

1x = 8
x = 8


Thanks everyone for helping out! Oh, the second equation was right.
 
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