Applications of Linear Equations

1. The manager at a wholesale outlet earns $560 more per month than the assistant manager. If their combined salary is $4380 per month, what is the salary of each?  solution

2. Sam's commission for June was $18 more than half of his commission for July, and his total commission for the two months was $561. Find his commission for each month.  solution

3. An estate valued at $450,000 is to be divided between two sons so that the older son receives three times as much as the younger son. Find each son's share of the estate.  solution

4. Your grades in the four tests in College Algebra are 86, 61, 72, and 75. How many points do you need on the final to average 75 if the final carries double weight?  solution  

5. A car leaves New Orleans traveling 50 miles per hour. An hour later, a second car leaves New Orleans following the first car, traveling 70 miles per hour. How many hours after leaving New Orleans will it take the second car to overtake the first car?  solution

6.Two cars start out together from the same place. They travel in opposite directions, with one of them traveling 10 miles per hour slower than the other. After 4 hours, they are 600 miles apart. How fast is each car traveling?  solution

7. Two planes leave an airport traveling in opposite directions. One plane travels at 470 kilometers per hour and the other at 430 kilometers per hour. How long will it take them to be 4500 kilometers apart?  solution

8. Ricardo has a box of coins that he uses when he plays poker with his friends. The box currently contains 53 coins, consisting of pennies, dimes, and quarters. The number of pennies is equal to the number of dimes, and the total value is $6.23. How many of each denomination of coin does he have?  solution

9. A swimming pool has two drain pipes. One pipe can drain the pool in 3 hours and the other pipe can drain the pool in 6 hours. If both drains are open, how long will it take the pool to drain?   solution