Question: One of the rides at the amusement park looks like a giant pirate's ship. The ship swings back and forth. Typically the ride runs very smoothly. This morning, however, it wouldn't run.

After discussing possible solutions, the theme park employees decided that they had exceeded the 7,220 pound weight limit.

There were 58 people on the ride. They estimated that the men weighed an average of 196 pounds each and the children weighed about 87 pounds each. The total weight of the passengers was 7,226 pounds.

The employees decided that one person should get off the ride. The passengers decided to count the number of children and the number of men. The group with more passengers would have someone get off the ride.

How many children are on the ride? How many men? Who would have to leave: a man or a child? With your answer, include the mathematics to support your decision.

Answer:  
There are 58 total people on the ride, but the number of each is unknown. Therefore, men + children = 58.

We also know that the total weight is 7,226 pounds, with men weighing 196 lbs. and children 87 lbs. The number of each is still unknown.

Substitution is one way of solving this problem.

This can be used in the other equation.

So, if there are 38 children, there must be 20 men (58 total - 38 children).

According to the agreement, someone from the largest group must get off the ride, so one of the children must leave.