Liz, Kyle, and Sarah collected empty cans for a recycling drive. Kyle collected 12 more cans than Liz. Sarah collected 2 times as many cans as Liz. If the total number of cans collected was 124, how many cans did Kyle collect?
Solution
Let x be the amount Liz collected
Kyle collected 12 more than Liz or x + 12
Sarah collected 2 times as many as Liz or 2x
Liz's amount + Kyle's amount + Sarah's amount = 124
x + x + 12 + 2x = 124
2x + 12 + 2x = 124
4x + 12 = 124
4x + 12 - 12 = 124 - 12
4x + 0 = 112
4x = 112
4x/4 = 112/4
x = 28
So Liz collected 28.
Kyle collected 28 + 12 = 40 cans