Jean deposited a check for $625, wrote two for $68.74 and
$29.95 and used her debit card to pay for a purchase of $57.65. How has her
account balance changed?
I am a little lost, I understand the deposit BUT from what I understand she wrote 2 check in the amount of $68.74 each and then 2 checks for $29.95 and then used her debet card for $57.65?
Or was it just 2 checks all together 1 for $68.74 and 1 for $29.95 and then used her debet card for $57.65?
Unfortunately, from the way the problem is stated, it is not clear which applies. However, since it is very unlikely to have two different checks both duplicated in the exact same amount, I would favor your latter interpreation.
Even so, a suggestion would be to note the two different interpretations and solve for both.
I hope this helps. Thanks for asking.
you have got to be kidding.
You're correct, the problem is a bit ambiguous. Let's consider both interpretations and see how Jean's account balance would change in each case:
Interpretation 1: Jean wrote two separate checks for $68.74 each, and two separate checks for $29.95. Additionally, she used her debit card for a purchase of $57.65.
To calculate the change in her account balance, we need to subtract the total amount Jean spent from her initial account balance, and then add the initial deposit. Let's assume her initial account balance was $0.
Total amount spent = 2 * $68.74 + 2 * $29.95 + $57.65 = $196.08
Change in account balance = $625 (deposit) - $196.08 (total spent) = $428.92
So, in this interpretation, Jean's account balance has increased by $428.92.
Interpretation 2: Jean wrote a single check for $68.74 and a single check for $29.95. Additionally, she used her debit card for a purchase of $57.65.
Following the same calculation process, but considering only one check for each amount:
Total amount spent = $68.74 + $29.95 + $57.65 = $156.34
Change in account balance = $625 (deposit) - $156.34 (total spent) = $468.66
So, in this interpretation, Jean's account balance has increased by $468.66.
As mentioned before, since the problem is not explicitly clear, it's a good idea to consider both interpretations and provide the answers accordingly.