Question

Lauren works at a reception hall and is setting tables for a retirement party. She takes a basket of 98 soup spoons, and she places 8 soup spoons on every table she sets.

Write an equation that shows how the number of soup spoons remaining, y, depends on the number of tables Lauren sets, x.

Answer 1

1. First, we need to determine the total number of soup spoons used when Lauren sets x tables. Since she places 8 soup spoons on each table, the number of soup spoons used can be calculated as 8 multiplied by x: 8x.

2. To find the number of soup spoons remaining, we need to subtract the number of spoons used from the initial number of spoons Lauren started with. Since she had 98 soup spoons initially, the equation for the number of soup spoons remaining, y, is:

y = 98 - 8x.

In this equation, x represents the number of tables Lauren sets, and y represents the number of soup spoons remaining.

For example, if Lauren sets 5 tables, we can substitute x with 5 in the equation to find the number of soup spoons remaining:

y = 98 - 8(5) = 98 - 40 = 58.

So, if Lauren sets 5 tables, she will have 58 soup spoons remaining.

Remember, this equation shows how the number of soup spoons remaining, y, depends on the number of tables Lauren sets, x.

Explanation: