Multiple choice

Jean worked x hours and earned \$20. Pam worked y hours and earned \$40. If they both earned the same hourly wage and x + y = 15, for how many hours did Jean work?

  1. 2

  2. 4

  3. 5

  4. 8

  5. 10

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Hourly wage w = 20/x = 40/y. So y = 2x. Given x + y = 15, x + 2x = 15, 3x = 15, x = 5.

AI explanation

Since Jean and Pam earn the same hourly wage, the ratio of their hours worked equals the ratio of their earnings. Jean earned \$20 and Pam earned \$40, so Jean worked half the hours Pam did. Let Jean's hours be x and Pam's hours be 2x; given x + 2x = 15, we find 3x = 15 and x = 5. Jean worked for 5 hours.