Question

Michael is making a large batch of smoothies. The recipe calls for 4 strawberries for every banana. Michael used 55 fruits all together.
Now, solve for the value of b.
s=4b
s+b=55

s + b = 55
4b + b = 55
4b+b
=
55

b
=

Answer 1

To solve for the value of \( b \), we start from the equations you provided:

1. \( s = 4b \)
2. \( s + b = 55 \)

Now, substitute the expression for \( s \) from the first equation into the second equation:

\[
4b + b = 55
\]

Now, combine like terms:

\[
5b = 55
\]

Next, solve for \( b \) by dividing both sides by 5:

\[
b = \frac{55}{5} = 11
\]

Thus, the value of \( b \) is \( 11 \).

To find the value of \( s \), substitute back into the first equation:

\[
s = 4b = 4 \times 11 = 44
\]

So, Michael used 44 strawberries and 11 bananas in his smoothie batch.