I have this

Chatterbox: Down to Earth

I have this

I have this math homework question, and I'm really stuck . . . 

On Monday, the produce manager stacked the display case with 80 lettuces. By the end of the day, some had been sold. On Tuesday, he counted the lettuces and then added that number to itself (he doubled the leftovers). By the end of the day, he had sold the same amount of lettuce as on Monday. On Wednesday, he decided to triple the number of lettuces that he had left. At the end of the day, there were none left, and he had sold the same amount as on Mon or Wed. How many were sold each day?

I'm so stuck! I have no clue how to solve it! 

submitted by ...
(September 29, 2016 - 4:46 pm)

back to the Down to Earth

Well, to me, this seems like a trick question. I proabably don't understand the problem, but what does "doubling/tripling the amount" have to do without? So the manager, in his head or something, doubled, tripled the leftover amount, but that's all? He didn't like restock the lettuce or subtract? 

Then the "doubling/triping" stuff might be there just to confuse you.  To me, the only real info here is that he sold the same amount of lettuce each day. 

Divide 80 by three (three days), and that's rounded to 27. 

submitted by Can I help
(September 29, 2016 - 6:33 pm)
submitted by Toplight
(September 29, 2016 - 7:07 pm)

It's an algebra problem!

Monday: (80-N)=Lettuce at end of day.

Tuesday: (80-N) times two; 160 - 2N. Subtract N; you get 160 - 3N. (Adding the negatives.) Third day: 480 - 9N and he sold the same amount; 480 - 9N add -N you get 480 minus 10N.

So on Wednesday he had 480-10N=0 lettuces. 480=10N. Divide by ten. You sold 48 lettuces a day. 

submitted by Micearenice
(September 30, 2016 - 4:31 pm)