Question

This one is for @mathmale just for you buddy. if you need help I can assist you. : A teacher usually divides his class into six groups of "n" students each. However, on Monday, three of the students were absent, so the teacher divided the remaining students into seven groups of "m" students each. On Tuesday, four students were absent, so he went back to "n" students per group, but there were only five groups. How many students are in the class? Please explain your answer thoroughly!

Answer 1

Got the answer yet?

Answer 2

"Just for you, buddy?" Are we buddies? Why me? ;)

Answer 3

do you not want to be my buddy? and because you had to make me be specific about my answer!

Answer 4

First thoughts: write a series of algebraic equations to model the given situation. Let c=class size.
"6 groups of n students" translates into what equation?

Happy to be your buddy.

Answer 5

idk i mean i do but you have to try that yourself

Answer 6

do you want the answer?

Answer 7

Me? Want the answer before we've tried to solve the problem? Unimaginable.

Answer 8

heres the answer its 24 students

Answer 9

I knew the answer I just wanted to see if you could solve it.

Answer 10

Aw, you've spoiled my fun. And I was all excited just getting started.

Answer 11

but what was the equation if I spoiled your fun?

Answer 12

Wow. Got a vendetta against people who want you to show all steps and explain your assumptions? According to Merriam-Webster: vendetta: ": a series of acts done by someone over a long period of time to cause harm to a disliked person or group"

Answer 13

interestingly, i find that "so the teacher divided the remaining students into seven groups of "m" students each" is of no use

Answer 14

let me help you if your frustrated..6n=5n+4 6n-5n=4 n=4 No. of students -= 6n = 24 if 3 are absent, 24-3 = 21 = 7 groups of 3 m=3

Answer 15

which gives you 24

Answer 16

Really? Suppose the class size is c, but that 3 students are absent. Then the class size becomes c-3, and from that group the teacher formed 7 groups of m students.

Some problems are intentionally written with more info than is strictly necessary to solve them, to build student skills in separating the wheat from the chaff.

Me, frustrated? Over my dead body. ;)

Answer 17

^yea exactly, its actually just two equations and two unknowns

Answer 18

Anyway, Buddy, thanks for the challenge. I turn it down because I don't want to be given answers before I've even started my own problem solution.

Answer 19

Bye for now!