Question

The smith is generate one and a half times as much as their neighbors, the joneses. Together, the two households produce 15 bags of trash each month. How much trash does each household generate ?

Answer 1

Smith = 1.5Jones
S=1.5J
S + J = 15
1.5J + J = 15
2.5J = 15
J = 6
S = 9

Answer 2

Answer:

The Smith generates 6 bags of trash per month, and the Joneses generates 6 bags of trash per month.

Step-by-step explanation:

We know that

• The Smith generates one and a half times trash as much as the Joneses.
• Both families generate 15 bags of trash per month.

To solve this problem, we need to transform each statement in a equation.

$S=1\frac{1}{2}J$

Where $S$ represents the Smith, and $J$ represents the Joneses.

This expressions expresses the one and a half difference between the two families.

If both families produce 15 bags of trash, the equation would be

$S+J=15$

Now, we replace the first equation into the second one and solve for $J$

$1\frac{1}{2}J+J=15\\1.5J+J=15\\2.5J=15\\J=\frac{15}{2.5}=6$

Then, we replace this value into one equation to find the other variable

$S+J=15\\S+6=15\\S=15-6\\S=9$

Therefore, the Smith generates 6 bags of trash per month, and the Joneses generates 6 bags of trash per month.