Word problem

Question

a woman earns 15% more than her husband. Together they make 69,875 per year. What is the husbands annual salary?

Answer 1

For both the husband's and the wife's combined income, we can do:

 

w + h = 69875

 

We know that the wife, earns 15% more than her husband, which means she makes what her husband makes, plus 15% more, so we can do:

 

w = h + 0.15h = 1.15h

 

So now we can replace, from the original equation, w with this new formula like this:

 

1.15h + h = 69875

 

Then solving for h:

 

1.15 + h = 69875

2.15h = 69785

h = 32500

 

And that is what the husband makes.

 

If you want to check, you can plug in the numbers:

 

1.15(32500) + (32500) = 69875

Answer 2

x=amount the husband makes

x+15%x=amount the wife makes

x+(x+15%x)=$69,875

x+x+0.15x=$69,875

2.15x=$69,875

x=$69,875/2.15

x=6,987,500/215

x=$32,500 is the husband's salary

15%*$32,500=0.15*$32,500=$4875

$32,500+$4875=$37,375 is the wife's salary

$37,375+$32,500=$69,875

Answer 3

If a one earns 15% more, that person earns 115% of what the other person makes.

 

Now we set up our equation:

(100%x +115%x)/100% = 69875.  Solve for x