I'm not sure!

Question

Two small pitchers and one large pitcher can hold 8 cups of water. One large pitcher minus one small pitcher constitutes 2 cups of water. How many cups of water can each pitcher hold?

 

Answer 1

Small pitcher: x

Large pitcher 2+x

Second small pitcher: x

 

TotalL x + (2+x) + x = 8

3x = 6

x = 2 is capacity of small pitcher, so capacity of small pitchers is also 2.

Answer 2

Hi Kalea

 

This problem is a linear system of two equations with two variables to find.

 

Let me to write your problem in a mathematical language.

 

If we name "X" as the small pitcher filled with water, and "Y" as the large pitcher filled with water, we have:

 

2*X + 1*Y = 8  (Two small pitchers and one large pitcher hold 8 cups of water)

 

Y - X = 2  (One large pitcher minus one small pitcher constitutes 2 cups of water)

 

Kalea you have to find the values of "X" and "Y".

 

The solution is:      2*X  +  1*Y  =  8   (A)

 

                           -1*X  +  1*Y  =  2   (B)     

 

We multiply (B) by 2 in both sides of the equality. Then, we get:

 

 

                            2*X  +  1*Y  =  8   (A)

 

                           -2*X  +  2*Y  =  4   (B)

                        ---------------------------------------

                              0    +  3*Y  =  12                      The value of "Y" is 4  because  3*(4) = 12

 

Using this value of "Y" (= 4) in the above equation (A) we get:  2*X + 1*(4) = 8  or   2*X = 4   Solution: X =2

 

Answer: We have that each small pitcher holds 2 cups of water (because we have two small pitchers, a total of 4 cups of water are contained by both small pitchers), and the large pitcher contains 4 cups of water.

 

Nicolas Martin

New Math tutor in WyzAnt