Rusty the elephant was thirsty, despite the fact that water made up 85% of his body weight. After drinking a considerable amount of water, Rusty weighed 1350 pounds, and water made up 86% of his body weight.
What was Rusty's weight before he had his drink? What was the weight of the water he drank?
To find Rusty's weight before he had his drink, we can use the information given about the change in the percentage of water in his body weight. Let's break down the steps to solve the problem:
Step 1: Determine the initial percentage of water in Rusty's body weight:
According to the information provided, water initially made up 85% of Rusty's body weight.
Step 2: Calculate the initial weight of water in Rusty's body:
Since water made up 85% of his body weight, we can calculate the initial weight of water as:
Initial weight of water = (85/100) * Initial weight of Rusty
Step 3: Determine the final percentage of water in Rusty's body weight:
After drinking a considerable amount of water, water made up 86% of Rusty's body weight. This means the amount of water in his body increased.
Step 4: Calculate the final weight of water in Rusty's body:
Since water made up 86% of his body weight after drinking, we can calculate the final weight of water as:
Final weight of water = (86/100) * Final weight of Rusty
Step 5: Use the information given about the final weight of Rusty:
According to the question, Rusty weighed 1350 pounds after drinking.
Step 6: Set up and solve the equation:
We want to find Rusty's weight before he had his drink. Let's assume his initial weight is 'x'.
Initial weight of Rusty = x
Final weight of Rusty = 1350 pounds
Initial weight of water = 0.85x
Final weight of water = 0.86 * 1350
Now we can set up an equation to solve for x:
x + 0.85x = 1350 + 0.86 * 1350
Simplifying the equation:
1.85x = 1350 + 0.86 * 1350
1.85x = 1350 * (1 + 0.86)
1.85x = 1350 * 1.86
1.85x = 2511
Dividing both sides by 1.85:
x = 2511 / 1.85
Calculating the result:
x ≈ 1357.84 pounds
Therefore, Rusty's weight before he had his drink was approximately 1357.84 pounds.
To find the weight of the water he drank, we can subtract the initial weight of water from the final weight of water:
Weight of water drank = Final weight of water - Initial weight of water
Weight of water drank = (0.86 * 1350) - (0.85 * 1357.84)
Calculating the result:
Weight of water drank ≈ 11.61 pounds
Therefore, the weight of the water Rusty drank was approximately 11.61 pounds.