Question

Students are given 3 minutes to complete each multiple-choice question on a test and 8 minutes for each free-response question. There are 15 questions on the test and the students have been given 55 minutes to complete it.

A Table titled Test Time, showing Number of Questions, Time per Item in minutes, and Total Time in minutes. The first row shows Multiple Choice, with m, 3, and 3 m. The second row shows Free Response, with 15 minus m, 8, and x. The third row shows Total, with 15, blank, and 55.
Which value could replace x in the table?

Answer 1

x=16

Explanation:

From the Free Response Row,

• 8(15-m)=x

For the Total Time(in minutes) column

• 3m+x=55
• x=55-3m

Since x=55-3m and x=8(15-m)

Therefore:

55-3m =8(15-m)

55-3m=120-8m

Collect like terms

-3m+8m=120-55

5m=65

Divide both sides by 5

m=13

Therefore:

x=55-3m=55-3(13)=55-39

x=16