A dog weighs 44 pounds and the veterinarian thinks it needs to lose 7 pounds. Mikala wrote the equation x+7=44 to represent the situation. Kirk wrote the equation 44-x=7. Which equation is correct? Can you write another equation that represents the situation?
Thank you for your help!
To determine which equation is correct, we need to analyze the situation described. The given information states that the dog weighs 44 pounds and needs to lose 7 pounds.
Mikala wrote the equation x + 7 = 44 to represent the situation.
In this equation, x represents the weight of the dog after losing 7 pounds. Adding 7 to x gives the dog's current weight. And setting it equal to 44 implies that after losing 7 pounds, the dog's weight is 44 pounds. So, according to Mikala's equation, the dog's initial weight is 37 pounds (44 - 7).
Kirk wrote the equation 44 - x = 7 to represent the situation.
In this equation, x represents the weight the dog needs to lose to reach the goal weight. Subtracting x from 44 gives the weight of the dog after losing x pounds. And setting it equal to 7 implies that after losing x pounds, the dog's weight is 7 pounds. Therefore, according to Kirk's equation, the dog needs to lose 37 pounds (44 - 7) to reach the goal weight.
Based on the given information and the interpretation of the equations, Mikala's equation (x + 7 = 44) is correct.
Another equation that represents the situation can be:
x - 7 = 44
In this equation, x represents the dog's initial weight. Subtracting 7 from x gives the dog's weight after losing 7 pounds. And setting it equal to 44 implies that after losing 7 pounds, the dog's weight is 44 pounds. So, according to this equation, the dog's initial weight is 51 pounds (44 + 7).
Therefore, the three equations that represent the situation are:
1) Mikala's equation: x + 7 = 44
2) Kirk's equation: 44 - x = 7
3) Additional equation: x - 7 = 44