Question

Two men and a machine were picking oranges on a farm. One man picked x amount
oranges. The second man picked 12 less than the first. The machine picked three
times the second man. How many oranges did each pick if the total amount of
oranges picked is 332?

Answer 1

The equation to represent the situation is like so:

$x+(x-12)+3(x-12)=332$

Simplify.

$x+x-12+3x-36=332$

$5x-48=332$

$5x-380=0$

Solve for the variable x.

$5x=380$

$x=76$

$first\ man =x\\second\ man =x-12\\machine=3(x-12)$

$first\ man=76\\second\ man=64\\machine=192$

Verify.

$x+(x-12)+3(x-12)=332$

$76+(76-12)+3(76-12)=332$

$76+64+192=332$

$332=332$

$LS=RS$