Question

A basket of apples weighs 50 pounds. If the empty basket weighs 5 pounds, and the apples weigh 0.5 pounds each how many apples are in the basket

Answer 1

50 apples

Explanation:

50-5=45

25/.5=50

Answer 2

110 apples

Explanation:

Come up with an equation first. The equation I used is

0.5p - 5 = 50

I used p for pounds but it could be any letter

Now solve the equation, you want to get p by itself.

0.5p - 5 = 50

+5 +5

---------------------

0.5p = 55

Divide 0.5 from both sides

0.5/0.5 cancels out so now it looks like

p = 55/0.5

55/0.5 = 110

x = 110

And you can always check your work by plugging 110 into x and solving.