Final answer:
James earned $182 last week. This is determined by solving the equation 5x - 10 = 900, which represents his earnings being $10 less than five times the amount he earned.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks us to determine how much money James earned last week based on the information that his total earnings were $900, which was $10 less than five times the amount he earned last week. To find the amount he earned, we can set up an equation where the amount James earned is represented by x. The equation based on the information provided is:
5x - 10 = 900
To solve for x, we will first add 10 to both sides of the equation:
5x = 910
Next, we divide both sides by 5 to find the value of x:
x = 910 / 5
x = 182
Therefore, James earned $182 last week.