Algebra
How can algebra be used to solve this problem?
The boy solved 10 problems correctly at 8 cents a problem for a total of 80 cents, and 16 incorrectly at the cost of 5 cents for a total of 80 cents. Therefore, neither the boy nor his father owed each other anything at the end of the 26 problems.
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Answers
Algebra can be used to solve this problem by setting up a simple equation. Let x represent the number of correctly solved problems and y represent the number of incorrectly solved problems. We know that 8x + 5y = 80. Since there were 26 problems total, that means x + y = 26. We can replace y with (26-x) and rearrange the equation to 8x + 5(26-x) = 80. Solving this equation yields x = 10, y = 16, which matches the given information. Therefore, the boy solved 10 problems correctly and 16 incorrectly, and neither the boy nor his father owed each other anything after the 26 problems.
