Algebra Help Please

Dave Richards

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I can't remember how to solve for three variables. Could someone help me out? Here's the puzzle.

If 2 apples plus 3 oranges plus 4 bananas cost $1.45
and
4 apples plus 2 oranges plus 3 bananas cost $1.30
and
3 apples plus 4 oranges plus 2 bananas cost $1.30

What does each piece of fruit cost?

So far the closest I've gotten is that an apple and a banana cost as much as 2 oranges.
 
I'm almost mathematically illiterate...I'd just grab an apple, give the seller $0.25, and tell 'em to keep the change. :D
 
triple variable equations

Found that on the net, my lovely wife is working on your problem right now :D

Basically you have to make it

2x+3y+4z= $1.45
4x+2y+3z= $1.30
2x+3y+4z= $1.30

You have to eliminate one variable from the equation to get only two variable to solve the problem.......the link explains it very well.

Cheers!
 
Dave
The link Stu has covers it, but the Readers Digest version specific to this one problem are this:

2a + 3o + 4b = $1.45 (a is apples, o oranges, b bananas)
4a + 2o + 3b = $1.30
3a + 4o + 2b = $1.30

Solve for one of the variables from one of the equations. I'll pick apples from the first equation:
2a + 3o + 4b = $1.45
a = (1.45 - 3o - 4b)/2

Now plug that into the other 2 equations for a:
4a + 2o + 3b = $1.30
3a + 4o + 2b = $1.30
becomes
4((1.45 - 3o - 4b)/2) + 2o +3b = 1.30
3((1.45 - 3o - 4b)/2) + 4o +2b = 1.30
and simplify
2(1.45 - 3o - 4b) + 2o + 3b = 1.30
1.5(1.45 - 3o - 4b) + 4o +2b = 1.30
again
2.90 - 6o - 8b +2o +3b = 1.30
2.175 - 4.5o - 6b + 4o + 2b = 1.30
again
2.90 -4o -5b = 1.30
2.175 - 0.5o - 4b = 1.30
again
1.60 = 4o + 5b
0.875 = 0.5o + 4b

We're now down to 2 equations with 2 unknowns and have do this step all over again.
Solve for b from the first of these last 2 equations
b = (1.60 - 4o)/5

Plug that into the remaining equation
0.875 = 0.5o + 4((1.60 - 4o)/5)

simplify
0.875 = 0.5o + 0.8(1.60 - 4o)
again
0.875 = 0.5o + 1.28 - 3.2o
again
0.875 = -2.7o + 1.28
again
2.7o = 0.405
finally
o = 0.405/2.7
so
o = 0.15

We now know oranges are $0.15 ea and can plug that back into the earlier equations so that only a and b still need to be determined.
Take the step where we solved for b
b = (1.60 - 4o)/5
or
b = (1.60 - 4(0.15)/5
or
b = (1.60 - 0.60)/5
or
b = 1.00/5
so
b = 0.20
and
bananas are $0.20

Plug both bananas and oranges back into the equation where we solved for a
a = (1.45 - 3o - 4b)/2

a = (1.45 - 3(0.15) - 4(0.20))/2
or
a = (1.45 - 0.45 - 0.80)/2
or
a = 0.20/2
or
a = 0.10

Apples are $0.10


This is the longhand/layman method. There are shortcut methods involving matrix math techniques but are a bit tougher to explain. Note though that neither method will work if one (or more) of the equations is an exact multiple of one of the other equations.
If the original problem had been something like
2a + 3o + 4b = $1.45
4a + 2o + 3b = $1.30
8a + 4o + 6b = $2.60 (equation 2 multiplied by 2)
this problem wouldn't have had any solution.
 
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