Math Problem Statement

At the beginning of the year, Emma had $65 in savings and saved an additional $10 each week thereafter. Madeline started the year with $25 and saved $15 every week. Let E represent the amount of money Emma has saved t weeks after the beginning of the year and let M represent the amount of money Madeline has saved t weeks after the beginning of the year. Write an equation for each situation, in terms of t, and determine the interval of time when Emma has more in savings than Madeline.

Solution

The problem involves two people, Emma and Madeline, and their savings over time. Let's break it down:

  1. Emma's savings:
    Emma started with $65 and saves $10 each week. The total savings of Emma after tt weeks can be modeled by a linear equation: E(t)=65+10tE(t) = 65 + 10t where E(t)E(t) represents the amount Emma has saved after tt weeks.

  2. Madeline's savings:
    Madeline started with $25 and saves $15 each week. Her savings after tt weeks can be modeled by: M(t)=25+15tM(t) = 25 + 15t where M(t)M(t) represents the amount Madeline has saved after tt weeks.

  3. Comparing the savings:
    The next step is to determine when Emma has more savings than Madeline, which means solving for when E(t)>M(t)E(t) > M(t).

To solve this inequality: 65+10t>25+15t65 + 10t > 25 + 15t Simplify it: 6525>15t10t65 - 25 > 15t - 10t 40>5t40 > 5t Divide by 5: 8>t8 > t or equivalently, t<8t < 8

So, Emma has more savings than Madeline when t<8t < 8.

Answer Summary:

  • Emma's equation: E(t)=65+10tE(t) = 65 + 10t
  • Madeline's equation: M(t)=25+15tM(t) = 25 + 15t
  • Interval when Emma has more savings: t<8t < 8

Would you like any further clarification or additional questions based on this? Here are some possible next steps:

  1. What happens after 8 weeks? How do the savings compare?
  2. How would the equations change if the savings rates were different?
  3. What if Emma started with $70 instead of $65?
  4. How could you graph these two equations to visualize the comparison?
  5. How would the result change if Madeline saved only $5 per week?

Tip: When solving inequalities, always pay attention to the direction of the inequality when you divide or multiply by negative numbers.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Linear Equations
Inequalities
Algebra
Functions

Formulas

E(t) = 65 + 10t
M(t) = 25 + 15t

Theorems

Solving linear inequalities
Solving for when one function is greater than another

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 7-9