Carl knitted 4 more scarves this year than last year. If he knitted 16% more scarves this year than last year, how many did he knit this year?

Answer 1

We have two unkowns at play here: the number of scarves knitted last year and the number knitted this year.

Let's call the number of scarves knitted last year x. That way, we can call the number of scarves knitted this year x + 4. We know this because 4 more scarves were knitted this year than last year.

We also know that 16% more scarves were knitted this year. So we add 16% of x to the mumber of scarves knitted last year to find the number knitted this year. 0.16x + x = 1.16x.

We have just found two ways to view the number of scarves knitted this year, as x + 4 = 1.16x. Now, we can solve for x, the number of scarves knitted last year.

x + 4 = 1.16x

4 = 0.16x

x = 25

If 25 scarves were knitted last year, and 4 more scarves were knitted this year compared to last year, then 29 scarves were knitted this year (25 + 4).

Answer 2

If the 4 scarves is 16% of last year's...

0.16s = 4

0.16s/0.16 = 4/0.16

s = 25 scarves

Since that's how many scarves Carl knotted last year, this year Carl knitted 25 + 4 = 29 scarves.

Answer 3

Let

L = number scarves knitted last year

T = number scarves knitted this year

Now let's form our two equations:

T = L + 4

T = L + 0.16L

Let's solve by substitution:

L + 4 = L + 0.16L

L + 4 = 1.16L

L - 1.16L = -4

-0.16L = -4

L = -4/(-0.16)

L = 25

Therefore T = 25 + 4 = 29