Question

a study indicated that residents of morristown wasted 69,369 gallons of water this year. that is 90% more than they wasted last year. how many gallons of water did the citys residents waste last year?

gallons

Explanation:

Step 1: Let \( x \) be the gallons wasted last year.

This year's waste is 90% more than last year's, so this year's waste is \( x + 0.9x = 1.9x \). We know this year's waste is 69,369 gallons, so we set up the equation \( 1.9x = 69369 \).

Step 2: Solve for \( x \)

To find \( x \), we divide both sides of the equation by 1.9: \( x=\frac{69369}{1.9} \)
Calculating this, \( \frac{69369}{1.9} = 36510 \)

Answer:

36510