Question

thank you. i have another question:

a jar contains 1000 identical nails. If a number of nails weighing a total of 1500g were removed from the jar, there would be 850 nails left in the jar. How many g does 1 nail wiegh?

Answer 1

Can you make up some variables?

Answer 2

1000 nails-1500g= 850 nails

Answer 3

you are mixing apple and oranges or in this case nails and grams?

Answer 4

i guess. im very confused.

Answer 5

I would take each sentence and try to simplify it.
a jar contains 1000 identical nails. I would say T= 1000 T for total

If a number of nails weighing a total of 1500g
a number of nails -- This sounds like an unknown. call it X
weighs 1500 g
we know each nail will weigh something. What do we call it? Y (why not!)
X*Y= 1500

Answer 6

there would be 850 nails
we started with T, took away X and are left with 850
T-X= 850, or using 1000 for T (simplify)
1000-X= 850

Answer 7

How many g does 1 nail weigh? we (I) called this Y. so we have to find Y.
can you summarize the equations we have?

Answer 8

1000-x=850
x=150

Answer 9

and don't forget
X*Y= 1500 g

Answer 10

y=10g

Answer 11

Do you see how I did it? Write stuff down, and see if you can make equations.
Try to make sense of the mess....