Question

A student is helping unpack gifts for teachers. There are stainless steel coffee mugs for every teacher. The AP is worried they may not have enough after giving out 12 mugs. Each case holds 16 mugs. The AP wants the student to figure out a formula (equation) to quickly determine how many mugs are left. If you use m for number of cases of mugs and t(m) for the total number of mugs, what would the equation be?

Answer 1

The number of mugs left = 16m - 12

Step-by-step explanation:

Let total number of mugs = t(m)

number of cases of mugs = m

There are 16 mugs in each case

Total number of mugs for m number of cases of mugs = m × 16

t(m) = 16m

Amount of mugs given out = 12

Amount left = 16m - 12

Since t(m) is stated as the total mugs instead of total mugs left,

The number of mugs left = 16m - 12