9514 1404 393
Answer:
B. 8 and 24
Explanation:
There are a number of approaches you can use here. One of them is to choose the only answer that makes any sense in the problem.
The problem tells you the numbers have a ratio of 3, so numbers like 8 and 25, 9 and 24, 9 and 25 cannot be the answer.
The only answer choice that makes any sense is B: 8 and 24.
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If you want to work the problem, there are different ways you can do that. One of my favorite is to consider ratio units. The ratio of the two numbers is 3:1. The difference of the two numbers is 3-1 = 2 ratio units, which we are told is 16. Then each ratio unit represents 16/2 = 8. Then the numbers are ...
3×8 and 1×8 = 24 and 8.
Or, you can let a variable represent one of the numbers. If x is the first number, then the other number is 1/3x, and their difference is ...
x -1/3x = 16
2/3x = 16
x = 16(3/2) = 24
The numbers are 24 and 24/3 = 8.
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Additional comment
You need to talk to your teacher about this question. The answer choices list the smaller number first, but the problem statement tells you the first number is 3 times the second number. The correct answer would be 24 and 8.