math help, Thank you?

Question

My daughter has a word problem, I dont what the answer but could someone help us with HOW to set it up for finding the answer:
There are four times as many trumpet players as flute players in the orchestra. If there are 70 trumpet and flute players, how many flute players are there?

Thank you Dave (and Dominique)

great so far........ she is in the 6th grade, and they are setting her up for algebra. what we dont understand is where are you getting the "5" in the problem. thanks

Answer 1

T = trumpet players
F = Flute players
4 X F = T
T + F = 70

Solve one of the equations for T (T+F = 70, so T = 70 - F)

You're looking for F, so substitue the expression you just developed for T (in terms of F) into the other equation

4F = (70-F)

Now just solve for F

4F + F = 70
F (4+1) = 70
5F = 70
F = 70/5

Did I take it too far?

This solution path assumes she is studying algebra. If she is working with matrix equation setup, then it is a similar treatment, but the work looks different. Either way it is two equations, and two unknowns.

Answer 2

Since you do not know how many flute players you actually have, you let X represent that number. You do know that you have four times as many trumpet player though than you do flute players, let 4x represent the number of trumpet players. These two categories added together equal 70 total trumpet flute players. So, what you do is take 4x and add that to x and have all of it equal to 70. Example: 4x+x=70. Now you need to add the x variables together. 4x+x=5x Therefore 5x=70. Now to find the actual value of x, you need to divide 5 from both sides of the equation. 5x/5=1x or just x=5/70. Therefor x=14. Remember x was representative of how many flute players so there are 14 flute players. Now to find out how many trumpet players that leaves, subtract 14 from 70. That leaves you with 56 trumpet players. Check your answer by plugging 14 (value of x) into the equation and see if it fits... 4x+x=70 is really 5x=70 so 5(14)=70. The answer fits the equation so the answer is correct!

Answer 3

I'm not sure what grade your daughter's in but if she's in pre-algebra or above this is how i would set it up.

We know that there are a total of 70 players, and that the number of trumpet players + the number of flute players = this 70 players. So you could set up the equation like this:

5x=70 Now x= to the number of flute players and 4x= the number of trumpet players.

Hope this helps its been years since my pre-algebra days so its a little shaky on the explainatin but all the right ideas are there.

Answer 4

Let x = flute players
4x= Trump players
5x= 70 Divide both sides of the equation by five
x= 14 flute players
4x= 56 trumpet players

Answer 5

If there are 70 trumpets then take 70 and divide it by 4 to get the number of flute players

Answer 6

the answer is 14. that would leave 56 trumpet players with the 14 flute to give you 70 in total and 56 is 4 x 14 and the formula is as stated above 4x+x=70

Answer 7

let the number of flute players be represented by x, on the other hand, let the trumpet players be represented by 4x because it is 4 times as a many as the flute players.
now, use the equation

4x+x=70
5x =70
(5x =70)/5
x = 14

now, you have the value of x and can be substituted to the representations x and 4x..
so, the answers will be

14 flute players
56 trumpet players

more problems?
email me at:
[e-mail]

nice day!

Answer 8

70=trumpets and flutes

t=trumpets
f=flutes

t=4f
(there are 4 times more trumpets than flutes, so if you multiply flutes by 4 you get trumpets)

70=4f+f
(4f is equal to the amount of trumpets and with the added flutes you should get 70)

70=5f

f=14

There are 14 flutes.

Answer 9

Try this...

x=flute players
4x= trumpet players
4x+x=70
Isolate x
x=70-4x
5x=70

Answer 10

let x= # of flute players
let 4x= # of trumpet players.

This is because there are 4 times more trumpeters than flute players. Now, if the total of all of these is 70 players...How can you two express that?

Hope it helped (and didn't do all the work for you :-p)
~Abhorsen

Feel free to contact me if you need more help...