Question

Tonga ways 150lb. He is loading a freight elevator with identical 72-pound boxes. The elevator can carry no more than 2,000 lb. If Tonga rides up with the boxes, how many boxes can be loaded?

Answer 1

25 boxes can be loaded.

Explanation:

Weight of Tonga = 150 lb

Weight of each box = 72 lb

Maximum weight the elevator can withstand = 2000 lb

Tonga rides along with the boxes.

Let the number of boxes be 'n'.

1 box weight = 72 lb

∴ 'n' boxes weight = 1 box weight × Number of boxes

∴ 'n' boxes weight =
`72n`

Now, combined weight of boxes and Tonga =
`72n+150`

Now, the total weight should not exceed the maximum capacity of the elevator.

∴ Combined weight ≤ Maximum Weight

⇒
`72n+150\leq 2000`

Now, solving for 'n', we get:

`72n\leq 2000-150\\\\72n\leq 1850\\\\n\leq (1850)/(72)\\\\n\leq 25.7`

So, the number of boxes should be less than or equal to 25.

Therefore, the maximum number of boxes that can be loaded are 25.