Question

A cheetah's sprinting speed is 61 miles per hour less than three times a zebra's running speed. A cheetah can sprint 68 miles per hour. Find the zebra's running speed.

Answer 1

OK... This problem talks about a cheetah's speed and a zebra's speed.

Does the problem say a cheetah's speed IS or a zebra's speed IS

Answer 2

Only that a cheetah can sprint 68 miles per hour

Answer 3

If the zebra can sprint at a speed of x, then the cheetah can sprint at a speed of 3x-61. If the cheetah sprints at a speed of 68mph, then 68=3x-61.

Answer 4

To solve for the zebra's speed, you solve for x.

Answer 5

Read the first 5 or 6 words of the problem. Stay with me here, I will teach you how to do these... It says a cheetah's sprinting speed IS.... do you see that

Answer 6

you can't solve for x because by then the answer will be 43 which is < 61, they said that the zebra is 3 times faster :)

Answer 7

3z - 61 is the formula,

if cheeta = z = 61 then zebra = 3(61)

Answer 8

if cheetah = 68 mi/hr then:
zebra = z = 3(68) = 204 mi/hr

Answer 9

blexting, you may find purchase in starting a thread to explain the process and having questions asked there if that was your intention. I'll quit passing out answers.

Answer 10

Correct me if I'm wrong ^_^

Answer 11

The cheetah sprints at 61mph less than three times the zebras speed. That shows that the cheetah is less than three times as fast as the zebra, not that the zebra is three times as fast as a cheetah.

Answer 12

no the cheetah is 3 times faster .

Answer 13

Lil B are you still there?

Answer 14

explain blexting and he'll come here and check later ^_^

Answer 15

Right. Which means for a zebra of speed Z, the cheetah is a speed of 3Z. However, the cheetah is 61mph less than 3Z, so it runs at a speed of 3z-1.

Answer 16

dear, the zebra will run at 3z, while the cheetah will have a speed that is less than that of a zebra

Answer 17

But that is where you are wrong. The cheetah's sprinting speed is some value less than three times that of the zebra, not that the zebra is in any way three times as fast as a cheetah.

Answer 18

After reading what everyone as written, Im still a bit hazey on how to express my equation.

Answer 19

lol, don't worry Lil B , we're just discussing ^_^

Answer 20

OK.. I just noticed that you had problems on one like this before so I thought I would teach you how to do these.

Answer 21

I do greatly appreciate everyone's help!

Answer 22

blexting, please explain it to him if you can :)

Answer 23

A cheetah's sprinting speed is 61 miles per hour less than three times a zebra's running speed.

This statement converts to an algebraic expression: C=3Z-61. The 3Z represents "three times that zebra's speed"

A cheetah can sprint 68 miles per hour. Find the zebra's running speed.

So we know that C=61. Then our formula becomes:

61=3Z-61.

And now it's an algebra problem.

Answer 24

C=68, but yes.

Answer 25

Ack. Sorry about my typos. Doesn't happen to me when I actually write the problem out. :)

Answer 26

Since C=68, then the formula we discovered C=3Z-61 becomes 68=3Z-61

Answer 27

Lil B, Blexting is explaining the process that we use to get these formulas in another thread that I started.

Answer 28

Ok! thanks guys!
@jcntrl: Im with you!