How many more hours had Mark worked than James?

Question

Mark had worked twice as many hours as james. If james had worked another 48 hours he would have worked twice as long as Mark.

Answer 1

Let m represent Mark

let j represent James

 

equation 1

 

m=2j

 

equation 2

j+48=2m or 2m=j+48

 

simultaneously solve both equations

 

  m=2j

2m=j+48

 

multiply second equation by 2

 

  m=2j

4m=2j+96..subtract the equations

=======

     -3m=-96

-3m=-96

m=96/3

m=32

 

Mark=32hours

James=32/2=16hours (32=2(16))