Question

Maya and Sally were the two finalists in a singing competition. The person with the most votes from the audience was chosen as the winner. Sally received 25% of the total votes and lost by 62,500 votes. No person in the audience was allowed to vote more than once. The equation below represents this situation, where y is the total number of votes cast and x is the number of votes Maya received.
x - 62,500 = 0.25y

If a total of 125,000 people voted, how many votes did Maya receive? Do not enter comma for placeholder values.

Answer 1

@nikato do you think you can help me again? :)

Answer 2

So your equation
x-62599=0.25y

Substitute 125000 for y because that's the # of people who voted.
And now you should be able to solve for x

Answer 3

O crap I have no clue :( ummmm....

Answer 4

So you'll have
x-62500=0.25(125000)

Answer 5

that's the answer or the equation to solve it? I'm sorry I'm horrible with algebra

Answer 6

@LilliBelle

Answer 7

You need to solve for x in the equation that nikato provided.

Answer 8

Okay that's what I thought I just don't know how to go about it haha I've taken algebra 5 times now I know that makes me sound stupid but its just im rlly rlly rlly bad at algebra

Answer 9

No problem. You'll get the hang of it :)

Answer 10

Do now understand on how to solve it?

Answer 11

....no :(

Answer 12

I will ask you a few questions and you will answer it with as much as you know :)

Answer 13

How many total votes were casted?

Answer 14

125000?

Answer 15

Yes

Answer 16

How much (percentage) did Maya receive?

Answer 17

ummm 75%?

Answer 18

No 25% if you look carefully.

Answer 19

Using these two pieces of info, we can then try to find .25 of 125,000 then add that product to 62500.

Answer 20

okay do divide 25% from 125,000 and then when I get the answer add it to 62500

Answer 21

No multiply

Answer 22

.25 * 125,000

Answer 23

Then add.

Answer 24

So the answer is 93,750