# 2.6 Solve a formula for a specific variable

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By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Use the Distance, Rate, and Time formula
• Solve a formula for a specific variable

Before you get started, take this readiness quiz.

1. Solve: $15t=120.$
If you missed this problem, review [link] .
2. Solve: $6x+24=96.$
If you missed this problem, review [link] .

## Use the distance, rate, and time formula

One formula you will use often in algebra and in everyday life is the formula for distance traveled by an object moving at a constant rate. Rate is an equivalent word for “speed.” The basic idea of rate may already familiar to you. Do you know what distance you travel if you drive at a steady rate of 60 miles per hour for 2 hours? (This might happen if you use your car’s cruise control while driving on the highway.) If you said 120 miles, you already know how to use this formula!

## Distance, rate, and time

For an object moving at a uniform (constant) rate, the distance traveled, the elapsed time, and the rate are related by the formula:

$\begin{array}{ccccccccc}d=rt\hfill & & & \hfill \text{where}\hfill & & & \hfill d& =\hfill & \text{distance}\hfill \\ & & & & & & \hfill r& =\hfill & \text{rate}\hfill \\ & & & & & & \hfill t& =\hfill & \text{time}\hfill \end{array}$

We will use the Strategy for Solving Applications that we used earlier in this chapter. When our problem requires a formula, we change Step 4. In place of writing a sentence, we write the appropriate formula. We write the revised steps here for reference.

## Solve an application (with a formula).

1. Read the problem. Make sure all the words and ideas are understood.
2. Identify what we are looking for.
3. Name what we are looking for. Choose a variable to represent that quantity.
4. Translate into an equation. Write the appropriate formula for the situation. Substitute in the given information.
5. Solve the equation using good algebra techniques.
6. Check the answer in the problem and make sure it makes sense.
7. Answer the question with a complete sentence.

You may want to create a mini-chart to summarize the information in the problem. See the chart in this first example.

Jamal rides his bike at a uniform rate of 12 miles per hour for $3\frac{1}{2}$ hours. What distance has he traveled?

## Solution

 Step 1. Read the problem. Step 2. Identify what you are looking for. distance traveled Step 3. Name. Choose a variable to represent it. Let d = distance. Step 4. Translate: Write the appropriate formula. $d=rt$ Substitute in the given information. $d=12·3\frac{1}{2}$ Step 5. Solve the equation. $d=42$ miles Step 6. Check Does 42 miles make sense? Jamal rides: Step 7. Answer the question with a complete sentence. Jamal rode 42 miles.

Lindsay drove for $5\frac{1}{2}$ hours at 60 miles per hour. How much distance did she travel?

330 miles

Trinh walked for $2\frac{1}{3}$ hours at 3 miles per hour. How far did she walk?

7 miles

Rey is planning to drive from his house in San Diego to visit his grandmother in Sacramento, a distance of 520 miles. If he can drive at a steady rate of 65 miles per hour, how many hours will the trip take?

## Solution

 Step 1. Read the problem. Step 2. Identify what you are looking for. How many hours (time) Step 3. Name. Choose a variable to represent it. Let t = time. Step 4. Translate. Write the appropriate formula. $\phantom{\rule{1em}{0ex}}d=rt$ Substitute in the given information. $520=65t$ Step 5. Solve the equation. $\phantom{\rule{1.2em}{0ex}}t=8$ Step 6. Check. Substitute the numbers into the formula and make sure the result is a true statement. $\begin{array}{ccc}\hfill d& =\hfill & rt\hfill \\ \hfill 520& \stackrel{?}{=}\hfill & 65·8\hfill \\ \hfill 520& =\hfill & 520✓\hfill \end{array}$ Step 7. Answer the question with a complete sentence. Rey’s trip will take 8 hours.

what is the answer for this 3×9+28÷4-8
315
lashonna
how do you do xsquard+7x+10=0
What
(x + 2)(x + 5), then set each factor to zero and solve for x. so, x = -2 and x = -5.
bruce
I skipped it
What
In 10 years, the population of Detroit fell from 950,000 to about 712,500. Find the percent decrease.
how do i set this up
Jenise
25%
Melissa
25 percent
Muzamil
950,000 - 712,500 = 237,500. 237,500 / 950,000 = .25 = 25%
Melissa
I've tried several times it won't let me post the breakdown of how you get 25%.
Melissa
Subtract one from the other to get the difference. Then take that difference and divided by 950000 and you will get .25 aka 25%
Melissa
Finally 👍
Melissa
one way is to set as ratio: 100%/950000 = x% / 712500, which yields that 712500 is 75% of the initial 950000. therefore, the decrease is 25%.
bruce
twenty five percent...
Jeorge
thanks melissa
Jeorge
950000-713500 *100 and then divide by 950000 = 25
Muzamil
Jeannette has $5 and$10 bills in her wallet. The number of fives is three more than six times the number of tens. Let t represent the number of tens. Write an expression for the number of fives.
6t+3
Melissa
6t +3
Bollywood
Tricia got a 6% raise on her weekly salary. The raise was $30 per week. What was her original salary? Iris Reply let us suppose her original salary is 'm'. so, according to the given condition, m*(6/100)=30 m= (30*100)/6 m= 500 hence, her original salary is$500.
Simply
28.50
Toi
thanks
Jeorge
How many pounds of nuts selling for $6 per pound and raisins selling for$3 per pound should Kurt combine to obtain 120 pounds of trail mix that cost him $5 per pound? Valeria Reply Amber wants to put tiles on the backsplash of her kitchen counters. She will need 36 square feet of tiles. She will use basic tiles that cost$8 per square foot and decorator tiles that code $20 per square foot. How many square feet of each tile should she use so that the overal cost of he backsplash will be$10 per square foot?
I need help with maths can someone help me plz.. is there a wats app group?
WY need
Fernando
How did you get $750? Laura Reply if y= 2x+sinx what is dy÷dx formon25 Reply does it teach you how to do algebra if you don't know how Kate Reply Liam borrowed a total of$35,000 to pay for college. He pays his parents 3% interest on the $8,000 he borrowed from them and pays the bank 6.8% on the rest. What average interest rate does he pay on the total$35,000? (Round your answer to the nearest tenth of a percent.)
exact definition of length by bilbao
the definition of length
literal meaning of length
francemichael
exact meaning of length
francemichael
exact meaning of length
francemichael
how many typos can we find...?
5
Joseph
In the LCM Prime Factors exercises, the LCM of 28 and 40 is 280. Not 420!