DQ 2 The author determines the first equation using the Quantity Equation.

The quantity equation is the usually the amount of the first item plus the amount of the second item equal to the total count (x + y= some number). In this case, it is a + b = 16. The first item is x which is Nasturtiums and the second item is y which is Johnny-Jump-Ups. The quantity in packets of both should be a total of 16. In the second equation, the author figures out the first equation using the same method called the quantity equation. We know that x + y = 16200, and 16200 is her total loan. So what does x and y mean? The author set it up thinking that the first loans amount plus the second loans amount must be 16200. So, x represents the first loan and y represents the second loan. The first loan is the Perkins Loan and the second loan is the Stafford Loan. The 2 equations are similar because they have the same concept, and that is that the two items when their quantity is added, then a number is resulted (a + b = 16, x + y = 16200). There is really no big difference between each equation, the only difference is that the variables are different (in the first equation the variables were a and b and in the second equations the variables were x and y). One question from the problem set that is like these examples is number 1. The equation that should be formed is the quantity of the first item plus the quantity of the second item is equal to total count. Well, the total count is 45, and the first item is green paintbrushes and red paintbrushes. So, the equation would be x + y = 45, and x is the green paintbrush count and y is the red paintbrush count. I choose that the classmates do number 3 or 4 (either one). Solutions are attached!!!