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Word Problems with Linear Equations

≈ 30 min
0/4 practice checks

Word problems are translation exercises. A reliable four-step routine:

  1. Define the unknown precisely: "let gg = number of gigabytes".
  2. Translate the sentence into an equation.
  3. Solve with the tools of this section.
  4. Answer the actual question, with units, and sanity-check it.

Worked example. Airtime data costs R29 per GB. Zanele paid R145. How many GB did she buy?

Let gg = gigabytes. Then 29g=14529g = 145, so g=5g = 5 GB. Sanity check: 5 GB at R29 is R145 ✓

Mobile data costs R29 per GB. Zanele paid R145 for a bundle. How many GB did she buy?

Thabo is 3 years older than his sister. Their ages add up to 25. How old is his sister?

A rectangular vegetable garden has a perimeter of 36 m. Its length is 4 m more than its width. Find the width in metres.

A boerewors roll costs R5 more than a cooldrink. Together they cost R35. If cc is the cooldrink price, which equation is correct?