Question

jessica weighs x+34 pounds and Ronda weighs 12 pounds less. If Jessica gains 5 pounds and Ronda loses 2 pounds, what is the sum of their new heights.

Answer 1

2x+59.

Explanation:

Let J represent Jessica's weight and R represent Ronda's weight.

Jessica weighs x+34 pounds. Thus:

`J=x+34`

Ronda weighs 12 pounds less than Jessica. In other words:

`R=J-12=(x+34)-12\\R=x+22`

The sum of their weights, therefore, is:

`J+R\\=(x+34)+(x+22)=2x+56`

Now, if Jessica gains 5 pounds and Ronda loses 2 pounds, the net gain of the total weight would be 3 pounds. Thus, we only need to add 3 to the original total to find the sum of their new weights:

`2x+56+3=2x+59`

The sum of the new [weights] is represented by 2x+59.