Question

Taylor and Jeff have been selling frozen pizzas for a class fundraiser. Taylor has sold half as many

pizzas as Jeff. Together they have sold a total of 126 pizzas. How many pizzas did Taylor sell?

Answer 1

Taylor sold 42 pizzas

Explanation:

Make a system of equations where t represents the number of pizzas Taylor sold and j represents the number that Jeff sold:

t + j = 126

j = 2t

We can solve this system by substitution, since we can substitute 2t as j.

t + j = 126

t + 2t = 126

3t = 126

t = 42

Taylor sold 42 pizzas.

Answer 2

Explanation:

Let x represent the number of pizzas that Tailor sold.

Let y represent the number of pizzas that Jeff sold.

Together they have sold a total of 126 pizzas. This means that

x + y = 126- - - - - - - - -1

Taylor has sold half as many

pizzas as Jeff. This means that

x = 1/2 × y = y/2

Substituting x = y/2 into equation 1, it becomes

y/2 + y = 126

Multiplying both sides of the equation by 2, it becomes

y + 2y = 252

3y = 252

y = 252/3

y = 84

x = y/2 = 84/2

x = 42

Taylor sold 42 pizzas