Question

At a party,the number of people who ate meatballs was 11 fewer than 1/3 of the total number of people. Five people ate meatballs. Write a one step equation that has the same solution?

Answer 1

1/3x = 16,

Explanation:

Let the total number of people be x.

Then the equation is:

1/3x - 11 = 5

1/3x = 16.

Answer 2

1/3T = 16

where T is the total number of people at the party

Explanation:

Let the total number of people at the party be T. It means that this population consist of people that ate meatballs and those who did not.

Given that 5 people ate meat balls and this is 11 fewer than 1/3 of the total number of people,

1/3 of the total number of people

= 1/3T

11 fewer than 1/3 of the total number of people,

= 1/3T - 11

5 people ate meat balls and this is 11 fewer than 1/3 of the total number of people means that

1/3T - 11 = 5

1/3T = 16