A water tank is 1/8 full. The tank is 3/4 full when 42 gallons of water are added to the tank. How much water can the tank hold? How much water was originally

Question

In the tank?

Answer 1

It is important that you read the question carefully and understand the time line. In this problem you are starting with a tank that is 1/8 full, adding 42 gallons of water and ending with a tank that is 3/4 full.

Let T = the number of gallons the tank can hold.

Your equation becomes

1/8 T + 42 = 3/4 T

42 = 3/4 T - 1/8 T

42 = 5/8 

 

Solving for 1/8 is:    42/5

 

So 1/8 of the tank is = 8 2/5 gallons

 

You can now solve for the entire tank or half tank by adding together as many 1/8ths as needed.

Answer 2

It is important that you read the question carefully and understand the time line.  In this problem you are starting with a tank that is 1/8 full, adding 42 gallons of water and ending with a tank that is 3/4 full. 

 

Let T = the number of gallons the tank can hold.

 

Your equation becomes

 

1/8 T + 42 = 3/4 T

 

42 = 3/4 T - 1/8 T

 

42 = 5/8 T

 

T = 42 * 8/5

 

You will need to finish the work and answer the two questions.

 

Answer 3

You are given that the tank is 3/4 full and that it holds 42 gallons.  

 

Then the total capacity of the tank is given by:  42 gallons / (3/4) = 56 gallons

 

When the tank is 1/8 full it has 56 x 1/8 = 7 gallons