Question

James had $240 more than his brother, Sam, at first. After their mother gave James $30 and Sam $50, James had twice as much money as Sam. How much money did Sam have at first?

Answer 1

$170

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Let's assume Sam had x dollars at first.

James had $240 more than Sam, so he had (x + 240) dollars at first.

After their mother gave James $30 and Sam $50, James had (x + 240 + 30) dollars and Sam had (x + 50) dollars.

According to the given information, James had twice as much money as Sam after receiving the money, so we can write the equation:

• (x + 240 + 30) = 2(x + 50)

Simplifying the equation, we have:

• x + 270 = 2x + 100

Subtracting x from both sides, we get:

• 270 = x + 100

Subtracting 100 from both sides, we get:

• 170 = x

Therefore, Sam had $170 at first.