Thread: Incremental increase in ratios.

The salaries of Kate and John are in a ratio 2:3 . If the salary of each is increase by $4000 the new ratio becomes 40:57 .What is Johns salary ?Ans $38,000

Suggestions on solving this ?

Originally Posted by MikeNoob

Suggestions on solving this ?

Call j John's original salary and k Kate's original salary. It should be clear that it starts with k = (3/2)j.

Then when their salaries increase, you have j + 4000 for John's new salary, and k + 4000 for Kate's original salary. It should then be clear that k + 4000 = (57/40)(j + 4000).

Solve these two equations simultaneously.

Originally Posted by MikeNoob

Suggestions on solving this ?

Let present salaries be x and y x/y=2/3
(x+4000)/(y+4000)=40/57
57(x+4000)=40(y+4000)
Simplify this and sub in x=(2/3)*y

It should then be clear that k + 4000 = (57/40)(j + 4000).

Isn't it suppose to be (40/57) since thats the new ratio ? How did you get 57/40 ?

I'm sure it was a typo. Clearly John's salary is greater than Kate's.

Originally Posted by biffboy

Let present salaries be x and y x/y=2/3
(x+4000)/(y+4000)=40/57
57(x+4000)=40(y+4000)
Simplify this and sub in x=(2/3)*y

You mean let old salaries be x and Y