Question

The maximum weight for an elevator is 1600 pounds. You need to move boxes each weighing 40 pounds, and you weigh 145 pounds. Write an inequality that can be used to determine the maximum number of boxes that you can place in the elevator at one time.

1) 1600 - 145 ��� 40n
2) 145 + 40n ��� 1600
3) 145 - 40n ��� 1600
4) 1600 + 145 ��� 40n

Answer 1

The inequality to determine the maximum number of boxes that can be placed in the elevator at one time, given a person's weight and the weight of each box, is 145 + 40n ≤ 1600.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the maximum number of boxes that you can place in the elevator without exceeding the maximum weight limit, we must consider both your weight and the weight of the boxes. Let's denote the number of boxes as n. The weight of the boxes would then be 40n pounds. Since your weight is 145 pounds, the combined weight of you and the boxes can be represented by the expression 145 + 40n.

The maximum weight capacity for the elevator is 1600 pounds. Therefore, the combined weight of you and the boxes must be less than or equal to this limit. And thus, we can write the inequality as:

• 145 + 40n ≤ 1600

This inequality represents the condition that the total weight of you and the boxes must not exceed the elevator's maximum capacity of 1600 pounds.