High School

David's mass is 5 kg less than Sucha's, who is 8 kg less than Paul. If their total mass is 197 kg, how heavy is each person?

a) David: 44 kg, Sucha: 49 kg, Paul: 104 kg
b) David: 39 kg, Sucha: 47 kg, Paul: 111 kg
c) David: 38 kg, Sucha: 46 kg, Paul: 113 kg
d) David: 42 kg, Sucha: 51 kg, Paul: 104 kg

Answer :

Final answer:

To find the weights of David, Sucha, and Paul, we can set up a system of equations using the information given. By solving these equations, we can determine the weight of each person. So, the correct option is d) David: 42 kg, Sucha: 51 kg, Paul: 104 kg.

Explanation:

Let's assign variables to the mass of each person. Let D represent David's mass, S represent Sucha's mass, and P represent Paul's mass. According to the given information, we can write the following equations:

  • D = S - 5
  • S = P - 8
  • D + S + P = 197

Substituting the value of S from the second equation into the first equation, we get D = (P - 8) - 5. Next, substitute the values of D and S into the third equation to get (P - 8) - 5 + (P - 8) + P = 197. Simplifying the equation gives us 3P - 21 = 197.

By solving this equation, we find that Paul's mass, P, is equal to 104 kg. Substituting this value back into the second equation, we can find Sucha's mass, S, which is 104 - 8 = 96 kg. Finally, substituting the values of S and P into the first equation, we can find David's mass, D, which is 96 - 5 = 91 kg. Therefore, the correct option is d) David: 42 kg, Sucha: 51 kg, Paul: 104 kg.