Question

Emmanuel bought 35 lb of potting soil this week. This amount is 5 lb more than twice the amount of potting soil he bought last week. Answer the following questions to find the number of pounds of soil Emmanuel purchased last week.

(a) What is the unknown information?

(b) Let p represent the unknown information. Write an equation to model the problem.

(c) Which number, 10, 15, or 20, will solve the equation in Part (b)? Show your work.

(d) How many pounds of potting soil did Emmanuel buy last week?

Answer 1

a. the unknown information is the amount of potting soil that was brought last week.

b. the equation is 2p+5=35.

c.15

c. 15lb

Explanation:

c. using 2p+5=35

if p=10 then the equation=25

if p=15 then the equation=35

if p=20 then the equation=45

so p=15 is true

d. since p=15 then the amount of potting soil last week was 15lb