Calculate the Note Value Balancing Daniel's Wins and Losses

Linear Equations with Net Change Analysis

Daniel bets on three games. In the first game, he lost three notes. In the second game, he lost 7 notes. In the third game, he won 2 notes and another £400. In total, Daniel left with the same amount of money he started with.

What is the value of each note?

❤️ Continue Your Math Journey!

We have hundreds of course questions with personalized recommendations + Account 100% premium

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

Daniel bets on three games. In the first game, he lost three notes. In the second game, he lost 7 notes. In the third game, he won 2 notes and another £400. In total, Daniel left with the same amount of money he started with.

What is the value of each note?

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Identify the given information and express losses and gains as an equation.
  • Step 2: Simplify the equation to solve for the value of a note x x .

Now, let's work through each step:

Step 1: Define the total outcome equation given the losses and gains.
Daniel starts with an unknown amount equivalent to his final amount.

In the first game, he loses 3 notes, resulting in a loss of 3x -3x .
In the second game, he loses 7 notes, resulting in a loss of 7x -7x .
In the third game, he wins 2 notes, resulting in a gain of +2x +2x , and he also wins an additional £400.

We equate the total changes to start with zero (final balance being the start):

3x7x+2x+400=0 -3x - 7x + 2x + 400 = 0

Step 2: Simplify and solve for x x .

Combine like terms:

3x7x+2x=8x -3x - 7x + 2x = -8x

Thus, the equation is:

8x+400=0 -8x + 400 = 0

Isolate x x by subtracting 400 from both sides:

8x=400 -8x = -400

Divide by 8-8 to solve for x x :

x=4008 x = \frac{-400}{-8} x=50 x = 50

Therefore, each note is worth £50 \text{£50} .

The value of each note is, therefore, £50 \pounds 50 .

3

Final Answer

£50 50

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Setup: Express all gains as positive and losses as negative values
  • Technique: Combine like terms: -3x - 7x + 2x = -8x
  • Check: Verify -8(50) + 400 = 0, confirming balance ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Adding losses instead of subtracting them
    Don't treat losses as positive numbers like +3x + 7x = wrong total! This gives the opposite result because you're adding money instead of losing it. Always use negative signs for losses: -3x - 7x.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

\( x+x=8 \)

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why does the equation equal zero if Daniel ends with the same amount?

+

When you start and end with the same amount, the net change is zero! All the gains and losses must cancel out perfectly, which is why we set the equation equal to 0.

How do I know which numbers should be positive or negative?

+

Losses are negative (money going out) and gains are positive (money coming in). Think of it like a bank account - withdrawals are negative, deposits are positive!

What if I get a negative answer for the note value?

+

Note values can't be negative in real life! If you get a negative answer, check your signs. Make sure losses have negative signs and gains have positive signs.

Can I solve this problem a different way?

+

Yes! You could set up the equation as: 3x+7x=2x+400 3x + 7x = 2x + 400 (total losses = total gains). Both methods give the same answer: £50.

Why do we combine the note terms first?

+

Combining like terms simplifies the equation and makes it easier to solve. Instead of dealing with three separate note terms, we get one: 8x -8x .

🌟 Unlock Your Math Potential

Get unlimited access to all 18 Linear Equations (One Variable) questions, detailed video solutions, and personalized progress tracking.

📹

Unlimited Video Solutions

Step-by-step explanations for every problem

📊

Progress Analytics

Track your mastery across all topics

🚫

Ad-Free Learning

Focus on math without distractions

No credit card required • Cancel anytime

More Questions

Click on any question to see the complete solution with step-by-step explanations