Word Problem; Pleease Help

[nina75]

Brett has to set up chairs for and concert. One half go in brass section, one fourth in the wind section, one eighth in the percussion section and 5 chairs for strings. How many chairs will he need to set up, and how many will he put in each section?

 

[soroban]

HGello, nina75!

Brett has to set up chairs for a concert.
One-half go in the brass section, one-fourth in the woodwinds,
one-eighth in the percussion section, and 5 chairs for the strings.
How many chair will he need to set up, and how many in each section?

Let \(\displaystyle N\) = the total number of chairs needed.

Then he needs: .\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}N\) chairs for the brass, \(\displaystyle \frac{1}{4}N\) for the woodwinds,
. . \(\displaystyle \frac{1}{8}N\) for the percussion, and 5 chairs for the strings.
Their total is, of course, \(\displaystyle N\) chairs.

There is our equation . . . . \(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}N + \frac{1}{4}N + \frac{1}{8}N + 5 \;=\;N\)

Got it?

 

[burakaltr]

Brett has to set up chairs for and concert. One half go in brass section, one fourth in the wind section, one eighth in the percussion section and 5 chairs for strings. How many chairs will he need to set up, and how many will he put in each section?

LET some Arbitrary value N=8k

4k+2k+k+5=8k

k=5

what is 8k=N ?