Math problem on linear eq. in two variables?

Question

I play runescape and I formulated a problem in math based from it. I know the answer but then I have to find a way to solve it using systems of linear equation in two variables because that is our current topic, which would be included in our test on monday. My problem is you need to smelt a peice of iron and 2 peices of coal to make steel. How of each should I use to make 500 peices of steel. Please explain it as detailed as possible my answer is 1000 peices of coals and 500 peices of iron but i just used my common sense.

Answer 1

u used the comparing sides method
1 iron+2coal=1steel
multiply both sides by 500
500 iron +1000coal=500steel

Answer 2

Let x is peice of iron and y is peice of coals.you need x and 2y to make a steel..if u want make a 500 peice of steel,so u must mutilply x with 500 and 2y with 500.so, u can get 500 of x snd 1000 of y..

Answer 3

Your problem is too simple to need two equations and two variables. All you have is:

steel = 2 x coal + 1 x iron