Question

mary and kate paid $195,000.00 for a business but kate paid 2 1/4 more than mary. How much did kate paid?

Answer 1

First, represent the unknown with variables.
Let x = amount of money that Mary paid
Let (2 1/4)x = amount of money that Kate paid (according to the problem)
Then we set up the equation. We know that the total amount that they paid is $195,000, therefore:
x + (2 1/4)x = 195000
Finally, we solve for x. Note that it's easier to solve if we convert the mixed number to improper fraction (recall how to convert them):
(3 1/4)x = 195000
(13/4)x = 195000
x = 195000 * 4/13
x = $60,000 (amount that Mary paid)
(2 1/4)x = $135,000 (amount that Kate paid)

Hope this helps~ :3