Math: bacon and eggs

Tutoring math, you face real-life scenarios. The tutor mentions an example.

Suppose one egg and two strips of bacon contain 13.5g protein, but two eggs and one strip of bacon contain 16.5g protein. How much in each?

Let x be protein in an egg, y be protein in a strip of bacon.

From the first hint,

x + 2y = 13.5

From the second,

2x + y = 16.5

The first equation implies, when we subtract 2y from both sides,

x = 13.5 – 2y

Substituting 13.5 – 2y for x in the second equation gives

2(13.5 – 2y) + y = 16.5

Expanding we get

27 – 4y +y = 16.5

27 – 3y = 16.5

Subtracting 27 from both sides yields

-3y = -10.5

Diving by -3 on both sides we arrive at

y=-10.5/-3 = 3.5

Substituting back into the very first equation gives

x + 2(3.5) = 13.5

x + 7 = 13.5

x = 6.5

Therefore, an egg has 6.5g of protein, while a strip of bacon has 3.5g protein.

Source:

www.healthline.com

Travers, Kenneth J et al. Using Advanced Algebra. Toronto: Doubleday, 1977.

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.