ALGEBRA homework, HELP please?

Question

You do 4 loads of laundry each week at a launderette where each load costs $1.25. You could buy a washing machine that costs $400. Washing 4 loads at homew ill cost about $1 per week for electricity. How many loads of laundry must you do in order for the costs to be equal?

Include answer and show work, please

Answer 1

4 loads of laundry each week x $1.25 per load = $5 per week.
So total cost over 'x' number of weeks is 5x.

If you buy the washing machine, the cost per week is $1, so the total cost over 'x' weeks is $1*x + your investment, which then becomes x + 400.

Set the two terms equal to each other and solve for x, which is the number of weeks. (5x = x+400). Then multiply the number of weeks times 4 loads a week to get the number of loads you need.

Answer 2

X=number of loads (the per week doesn't matter.)
1.25x=x+400
.25x=400
x=1600

It would take 1600 loads of laundry for the costs to be equal.

Answer 3

allright here u go

first u have two equations here:
400+x
1.25x

then u set them equal to each other

400+x=1.25x
subtract x from both sides

400=.25x

divide both sides by .25

400/.25=x

therefore x=1600 loads of laundry

Answer 4

its about 1600

(guess and check work)

Answer 5

Trial and error.