word problem

Question

Allison has 5 times as many baseball cards as football cards. In all she has 120 baseball and football cards. How many baseball cards does Allison have?

Answer 1

Hello,

      You can do this problem with less Algebra.  Try this suggestion:

Set things up first, such as  the following:

 

Let  X=number of football  cards

then 5X=number of baseball cards  This means 5 times the number, 5*X.

 

Try some guessing  that will give you the total of 120.  What if "X" is 10, what would 5 times that be?  Add the numbers together.  What is the total?

 

X                    5X                                            120

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10                 5*(10)=50     10+50=60          wrong guess  (Try another.)

20                 5*20=100      20+100                    120          (Great guess.)

 

Therefore, there were 100 baseball cards.   Answer

Answer 2

Let B stand for baseball cards and F stand for football cards.

 

B = 5F   and B + F = 120

 

Substitute 5F in place of B in the second equation to get 5F + F = 120.

Combine like terms...  6F = 120

Solve by dividing both sides by 6... F = 20

Substitute F = 20 into B = 5F.....B = 5 X 20 --> B = 100

Answer 3

Leslie, Let x=football cards,  let 5x= baseball cards, and the total football and baseball cards are 120.  Now set the problem up.  5x + x= 120.  6x=120,  devide both sides by 6, x=20=football cards, if x=20, then 5(20)=100=baseball cards. So, Allison has 100 baseball cards.