Question

1. Players from the local Little League plans to hold a car wash as a fundraiser. If they charge
$5 per car, how many cars do they need to wash to earn at least $250 dollars?

a. Write an inequality to represent this situation, using x to represent the number of cars the
players need to wash.

b. Solve the inequality by isolating the variable. Show all work leading to your answer.

Graph the solution on the number line. Be sure to include number labels to show the
values of x on the number line.

d. Write 1-2 sentences to explain what the solution to the inequality represents for this
situation.

Answer 1

 

a.       5x ≥ 250 

b.       x ≥ (250 / 5) 
x ≥ 50 

c.       x = 50

d.       In order for them to earn at least $250 dollars, they need to wash x ≥ 50 cars or more while using x to represent the number of cars the players need to wash.

We must pay attention to the direction of the inequality when solving inequalities even though solving them is very like solving equations, wherein most of the things we do are the same.

 

Subtracting or adding a number from both sides, dividing or multiplying (or divide) both sides by a positive number or simplifying a side doesn’t affect the direction of the inequality.