I need help with the equation part

• September 26th 2012, 08:06 PM
Rosestar
I need help with the equation part
During a recent basketball game, the Miami Heat scored 26 fewer points than the Orlando Magic. Together, both teams scored a total of 182 points. How many points did each team score?

a) Write the equation you would use to solve this problem, using http://www.imathas.com/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?%7Bm%7D as Orlando Magic's score. __________

b) After solving the equation, what is the Miami Heat's score? _______________

c) After solving the equation, what is the Orlando Magic's score? ____________
• September 26th 2012, 08:12 PM
MarkFL
Re: I need help with the equation part
If we let $h$ represent the Miami Heat's score and $m$ represent the Orlando Magic's score, how can we get two equations that relate the two variables from:

"Miami Heat scored 26 fewer points than the Orlando Magic"

"Together, both teams scored a total of 182 points"

Can you translate these statements into equations?
• September 26th 2012, 08:24 PM
Rosestar
Re: I need help with the equation part
Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkFL2
If we let $h$ represent the Miami Heat's score and $m$ represent the Orlando Magic's score, how can we get two equations that relate the two variables from:

"Miami Heat scored 26 fewer points than the Orlando Magic"

"Together, both teams scored a total of 182 points"

Can you translate these statements into equations?

I did that already, it still showed it was incorrect.
• September 26th 2012, 08:28 PM
MarkFL
Re: I need help with the equation part
• September 26th 2012, 08:44 PM
Rosestar
Re: I need help with the equation part
M-26=182
• September 26th 2012, 08:53 PM
MarkFL
Re: I need help with the equation part
As you know, that is incorrect.

"Miami Heat scored 26 fewer points than the Orlando Magic"

Thus tell us that 26 fewer than $m$ is equal to $h$, or:

$h=m-26$

"Together, both teams scored a total of 182 points"

This tells us that the sum of the scores is 182, or:

$h+m=182$

Now, to get an equation in one variable, we may take the first equation, which is already solved for $h$ and substitute into the second equation:

$m-26+m=182$

Can you now simplify this and solve for $m$?
• September 26th 2012, 09:06 PM
Rosestar
Re: I need help with the equation part
M-26+m=182
+26 +26
_________________
M+M=208
2m/2 =208/2
M=104
• September 26th 2012, 09:12 PM
MarkFL
Re: I need help with the equation part
Correct! :)

Now you may use the first equation to get the value for h.
• September 26th 2012, 09:15 PM
Rosestar
Re: I need help with the equation part
Ty : )