An elevator, when full, holds 20 children or 15 adults. If 12 children are on the elevator, how many adults can still get on? Use an algebraic equation to solve this problem.
Let x = # of children and y = # of adults. The sum of "fraction of capacity" must equal 1.
x/20 + y/15 = 1
12/20 + y/15 = 1
y/15 = 2/5
y = 30/5 = 6
It makes sense...Thank you DRWLS
To solve this problem using an algebraic equation, let's take the number of adults that can still get on the elevator as 'x'.
According to the information provided, when the elevator is full, it can hold either 20 children or 15 adults. Since 12 children are already on the elevator, the number of empty spots left for children can be calculated as (20 - 12) = 8.
Since each adult occupies one spot, the number of adults that can still get on the elevator can be calculated as (8 + x).
So, we have the equation:
8 + x = 15
Now, let's solve for 'x' by simplifying the equation:
x = 15 - 8
x = 7
Therefore, 7 adults can still get on the elevator.