Question

The sum of two numbers is 77. The greater number is 5 more than the smaller number. Which equation can be used to solve for the smaller number?

a.x(x − 5) = 77
b.x(x + 5) = 77
c.x − (x + 5) = 77
d.x + (x + 5) = 77

Answer 1

The smaller number can be found by solving the equation x + (x + 5) = 77.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sum of two numbers is 77 and the greater number is 5 more than the smaller number. To solve for the smaller number, let's represent it as x. Since the greater number is 5 more than the smaller number, the greater number can be represented as x + 5.

The sum of the two numbers is 77, so we can write the equation x + (x + 5) = 77. Simplifying the equation, we get 2x + 5 = 77. Subtracting 5 from both sides, we have 2x = 72. Finally, dividing both sides by 2, we find that x = 36.

Therefore, the equation that can be used to solve for the smaller number is d) x + (x + 5) = 77.