Question

You had some money saved, and you earned $30 from babysitting your neighbor last weekend. This increased your total cash balance to $74. How much money did you have saved at the start?

Let m represent the amount of money you start with.

Part 1: Write an equation to describe the situation using the variable defined above
Part 2:
a. Solve the equation you wrote in part 1. Show and/or explain your work.
b. Then explain what your solution mean in the context of the problem

Answer 1

Part 1:
m + 30 = 74

Part 2:
a. Solve: m + 30 = 74
Subtract 30 from both sides: m = 74 − 30 = 44.

b. Meaning: You had $44 saved at the start. (Then you earned $30, giving a total of $74.)