Writing a multi-step equation for a real-world situation

Question

"Diane has a job transporting soft drinks by truck. Her truck is filled with cans that weigh 14 ounces each and bottles that weigh 70 ounces each. There is a combined total of 790 cans and bottles in her truck. Let be the number of 14 -ounce cans in her truck. Write an expression for the combined total weight (in ounces) of the cans and bottles in her truck.

Answer 1

Hi,

Using the fist statement: 

leb c represent the number of 14 oz cans and

      b represent 70oz. bottles,

14c + 70b is an expression for the total weight in ounces.(but you need only one variable to solve, so...)

Use the second part of the problem to write an expression for one of the variables:

c + b = 790

c= (790 -b)

plug in this expression for c

 

Total weight = 14(790 -b)+ 70b  (an expression for the total weight in ounces.)