Algebra · real student question

Solve for x: (3669724.77 - x) times 3% plus 13% of x equals 330275.23.

Question

Solve for xx:

(3669724.77x)3%+13%x=330275.23(3669724.77-x)\cdot 3\%+13\%\cdot x=330275.23

Step-by-step solution

  1. Convert both percentages to decimals first. A percent is a hundredth, so 3%=0.033\%=0.03 and 13%=0.1313\%=0.13:

    0.03(3669724.77x)+0.13x=330275.230.03(3669724.77-x)+0.13x=330275.23

    The structure is the classic "split a total between two rates" equation: an amount xx is taxed at the higher rate and the remainder at the lower one.

  2. Distribute the 0.03 across the bracket.

    0.03×3669724.77=110091.74310.03\times 3669724.77=110091.7431

    110091.74310.03x+0.13x=330275.23110091.7431-0.03x+0.13x=330275.23

    Note that xx appears twice with opposite signs, so the two terms must be combined before anything else.

  3. Combine the two xx terms.

    0.03x+0.13x=0.10x-0.03x+0.13x=0.10x

    so the equation reduces to

    110091.7431+0.10x=330275.23110091.7431+0.10x=330275.23

    The net coefficient 0.100.10 is the difference of the two rates, 13%3%13\%-3\%: only the rate gap matters, because every unit moved from the low bucket to the high one gains 10%10\%.

  4. Isolate the xx term.

    0.10x=330275.23110091.7431=220183.48690.10x=330275.23-110091.7431=220183.4869

  5. Divide by 0.10. Dividing by a tenth means multiplying by ten:

    x=2201834.869x=2201834.869

  6. Check the answer against the total. The high-rate part contributes 0.13×2201834.869=286238.530.13\times 2201834.869=286238.53 and the low-rate part 0.03×(3669724.772201834.869)=0.03×1467889.901=44036.700.03\times(3669724.77-2201834.869)=0.03\times 1467889.901=44036.70. Their sum is 330275.23330275.23 ✓, and xx is comfortably below the total 3669724.773669724.77, so the split is meaningful.

Answer

x=2201834.869x=2201834.869

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