Question

A mechanic earns five dollars more per hour than his helper. On a six-hour job, the two men earn a total of $114. How much does each earn per hour?

a) Mechanic: $19, Helper: $14
b) Mechanic: $17, Helper: $12
c) Mechanic: $15, Helper: $10
d) Mechanic: $13, Helper: $8

Answer 1

By setting up an equation for the combined hourly earnings of the helper and mechanic, we calculate the helper's wage at $7 per hour and the mechanic's at $12 per hour. However, these results do not match any of the provided answer options, suggesting a possible error in the question or options.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve this problem, we can set up an equation where x represents the hourly rate of the helper. Since the mechanic earns $5 more per hour than the helper, the mechanic's hourly rate would be x + $5. Together, on a six-hour job, they earn a total of $114.

The equation representing their combined earnings would be:

6x + 6(x + $5) = $114

Distributing the 6 into the parentheses gives us:

6x + 6x + $30 = $114

Combining like terms, we get:

12x + $30 = $114

Subtracting $30 from both sides gives:

12x = $84

Dividing both sides by 12, we find that:

x = $7. Therefore, the helper earns $7 per hour. The mechanic earns $7 + $5 = $12 per hour.

However, since none of the provided answer options match our calculations, it's possible there was a mistake in the question or in the provided options. It's important to double-check the question and the options to ensure accuracy.