i have problems with understand what they are asking in a word problem it goes like this

one jar holds 4mls more than twice. The two jars together hold the volume of the other jar. both jars together hold 712ml what is the volume the smallest jar hold.

one jar holds 4mls more than twice the volume of the other jar. write an equation

Jar 1 = x Jar 2 =y

x = 4+ 2y
x + y = 712

so 4 + 2y + y =712

Can you finish from here?

yes thank you i just wasn't sure what they were asking thank you

You are welcome.

To solve this word problem, let's break it down into steps:

Step 1: Assign variables.
Let's assume the volume of the smaller jar is "x" mL. As per the problem, the larger jar holds 4 mL more than twice the volume of the smaller jar. Therefore, the volume of the larger jar is (2x + 4) mL.

Step 2: Set up the equation.
We know that the two jars together hold the volume of the other jar. So, when we add the volumes of the smaller jar and the larger jar, it should equal 712 mL. We can write this equation as:
x + (2x + 4) = 712

Step 3: Solve the equation.
Combine like terms:
3x + 4 = 712

Subtract 4 from both sides:
3x = 712 - 4
3x = 708

Divide both sides by 3:
x = 708 / 3
x = 236

Step 4: Analyze the answer.
The volume of the smaller jar is 236 mL.

So, the smallest jar holds a volume of 236 mL.