Terry and Ed start a lawn mowing business and purchase the mowers and equipment for $1,300. They charge $15 for each lawn and use $2 worth of gas for each job. How many lawns must Terry and Ed mow before breaking even?

Answer 1

Let's say Terry and Ed mow the same number of lawns, which we'll call "x".
The cost of mowers and equipment is $1300.
The total cost of gas for each lawn is (2 * x).
Their total cost is the cost of mowers and equipment plus the cost of gas, which is (1300 + 2 * x).
The total revenue they earn is ($15 * x).
The equation for breaking even is (1300 + 2 * x) = (15 * x).
Simplifying the equation gives 1300 + 2 * x = 15 * x.
Subtracting 2 * x from both sides of the equation gives 1300 = 13 * x.
Dividing both sides of the equation by 13 gives 100 = x.
They must mow 100 lawns before breaking even. Answer: \boxed{100}.