Russel, Sarah, and Terry share money in the ratio 2:5:8. Russel gets 120 pounds less than Terry. Workout how much each get.
let their shares be 2x, 5x, and 8x
8x - 2x = 120
take over
To solve this problem, we need to follow these steps:
Step 1: Assign variables
Let's assign variables to the unknown quantities in the problem:
- Let x be a common factor representing the amount each person receives.
- Russel's share will be 2x.
- Sarah's share will be 5x.
- Terry's share will be 8x.
Step 2: Set up an equation based on the given information
From the problem, we know that Russel gets 120 pounds less than Terry. We can express this as the equation:
8x - 2x = 120
Step 3: Solve the equation
Simplifying the equation, we have:
6x = 120
Dividing both sides of the equation by 6, we find:
x = 20
Step 4: Calculate each person's share
Now that we know the value of x, we can calculate each person's share:
- Russel's share: 2x = 2 * 20 = 40 pounds
- Sarah's share: 5x = 5 * 20 = 100 pounds
- Terry's share: 8x = 8 * 20 = 160 pounds
So, Russel gets 40 pounds, Sarah gets 100 pounds, and Terry gets 160 pounds.