Question

Container A and container B have leaks. Container A has 800 ml of water, and is

leaking 6 ml per minute. Container B has 1000 ml, and is leaking 10 ml per minute.

How many minutes will it take for the two containers to have the same amount of

water?

**Write an equation to represent the situation (first blank). Use the variable m, for

minutes.

**Then solve for m (second blank).

**Finally, use your solution to determine the water level at that time (third blank).

The equation

can represent this situation. It will take

minutes for the two containers to have the same amount of water. At this time,

both containers will have ml left.

Answer 1

a) 50 minutes

b) The water level at 50 minutes for Container A and B would be 500ml

Explanation:

a) Let number of minutes at which both containers leak be represented by m.

Container A has 800 ml of water, and is leaking 6 ml per minute.

800ml - 6ml × m

800 - 6m

Container B has 1000 ml, and is leaking 10 ml per minute.

1000ml - 10ml × m

1000 - 10m

How many minutes will it take for the two containers to have the same amount of water?

Container A = Container B

800 - 6m = 1000 - 10m

Collect like terms

-6m + 10m = 1000 - 800

4m = 200

m = 200/4

m = 50 minutes

It will take 50 minutes for the two containers to have the same amount of water.

b) Finally, use your solution to determine the water level at that time.

Since m = 50 minutes

Container A = Container B

800 - 6m = 1000 - 10m

800 - 6 × 50 = 1000 - 10 × 50

800 - 300 = 1000 - 500

500 ml = 500 ml

Therefore, the water level at 50 minutes is 500 ml