Question

Ivan has 6 times as many blue beads as red beads. He has 49 red and blue beads in all. How many blue beads does Ivan have?

Answer 1

b means blue beads
r means red beads
b = 6r
r = r
49 = 6r + r
(solve for r now)
49 = 7r
(divide both sides by 7 to get r alone)
7 = r
(switch it around to r =)
r = 7
(plug r back into the following equation to get b or just subtract 7 from 49)
b = 6(7)
b = 42

Ivan has 7 red beads and 42 blue beads.

Answer 2

r + b = 49
b = 6r

r + 6r = 49
7r = 49
r = 49/7
r = 7 <== he has 7 red beads

b = 6(7)
b = 42 <== he has 42 blue beads