A bat ate 1050 mosquitoes in four nights. Each night she ate 25 more than the night before.
How many mosquitoes did the bat eat each night?
Answer
The bat ate 225 mosquitoes on the first night, 250 on the second night, 275 on the third night, and 300 on the fourth night.
Let x represent the number of mosquitoes the bat ate on the first night. You know that the bat ate 25 more than this on the second night, or x + 25. On the third night, the bat ate 25 more mosquitoes, or x + 50. On the fourth night, the bat ate 25 more mosquitoes, or x + 75. You also know the total for all four nights was 1050. So, you can write this equation:
x + (x + 25) + (x + 50) + (x + 75) = 1050
This equation simplifies to:
4x + 150 = 1050
Solving for x,
4x = 900
x = 225
