Question

Ops gets $140 per day and laborers get $100 per day. If 35 people were hired and payroll was $4820, how many ops were employed and how many laborers?

Answer 1

2 laborers and 33 ops

Explanation:

Given

Let:

L = Laborers

P = Ops

From the statements, we have:

`L + P = 35` -- total people hired; and

`140P + 100L = 4820` ---number of hirees

Required

Solve for L and P

Make L the subject in:
`L + P = 35`

`L = 35 - P`

Substitute
`L = 35 - P` in
`140P + 100L = 4820`

`140P + 100(35 - P) = 4820`

`140P + 3500 - 100P = 4820`

Collect like terms

`140P - 100P = 4820 - 3500`

`40P = 1320`

Solve for P

`P = 1320/40`

`P = 33`

Substitute
`P = 33` in
`L = 35 - P`

`L = 35 - 33`

`L = 2`