Question

Mr. Smith collected 1,044 quarts of rainwater. This was 3 times more than what Ms. Morris collected. Ms. Cooper collected 137 quarts more rainwater than Ms. Morris. How much rainwater did Ms. Morris and Ms. Cooper each collect?

a) Ms. Morris: 302 quarts, Ms. Cooper: 439 quarts
b) Ms. Morris: 186 quarts, Ms. Cooper: 323 quarts
c) Ms. Morris: 347 quarts, Ms. Cooper: 484 quarts
d) Ms. Morris: 429 quarts, Ms. Cooper: 566 quarts

Answer 1

Ms. Morris collected 181 quarts of rainwater, and Ms. Cooper collected 318 quarts of rainwater.

Step-by-step explanation:

Let's solve this problem step by step:

1. Let's assume that Ms. Morris collected x quarts of rainwater.
2. According to the information given, Mr. Smith collected 3 times more than what Ms. Morris collected, which means Mr. Smith collected 3x quarts of rainwater.
3. Ms. Cooper collected 137 quarts more rainwater than Ms. Morris, so she collected x + 137 quarts of rainwater.
4. Now, let's set up an equation to represent the total amount of rainwater collected: x + 3x + x + 137 = 1044 (since the total collected is 1044 quarts)
5. Simplify the equation: 5x + 137 = 1044
6. Subtract 137 from both sides: 5x = 907
7. Divide both sides by 5: x = 181.4

Since we're dealing with quarts of rainwater, we need a whole number answer. Therefore, Ms. Morris collected 181 quarts of rainwater and Ms. Cooper collected 181 + 137 = 318 quarts of rainwater.

So, the correct answer is: Ms. Morris collected 181 quarts, and Ms. Cooper collected 318 quarts.