| Transcribed by Norma Knotts Shaffer from microfilm
of the Calhoun Chronicle dated 4/20/1907.
How Many Eggs Did Jones Buy
Godfrey L. Cabot of Boston, Mass., has worked out a solution for the
problem that recently bothered Jones and has also bothered several of our
subscribers. The problem was like this:
Jones asked a Grantsville grocer the price of eggs and ordered 24 cents
worth. The grocer replied that two more eggs than he was then selling
for 24 cents would make them two cents less a dozen than they then were.
Jones didn't know how many eggs he should have received, and in fact, neither
did we, until Mr. Cabot came to our relief in this manner.
How many eggs did Jones buy?
Let X equal number of eggs Jones bought, and Y equal number of cents
per egg.
(1) xy equals 24
(2.) (X plus 2) x (Y less 1-6) equals 24; or,
(3) XY less Xover6 plus 2Y less 1-3 equals 24.
As XY equals 24, 2Y less Xover6 less 1-3 equals 0, and 2Y equals Xover6
plus 1-3
XY equals X {X plus 2over12} equals 24. Y equals X plus 2over12
X squared plus 2x equals 288.
X squared plus 1 equals 289
X squared plus 2x plus 1 equals 289
X squared plus 2x plus 1 equals {x plus 1}squared. x plus 1 equals
the square root of 289 equals 17. x equals 16 Q.E.D.
Therefore Jones was paying 18 cents per dozen for eggs and if he could
have bought them at 16 cents a doz. he would have bought two more eggs
with his 24 cents.
Godfrey L. Cabot. | 
