Question

the cinema has 5 theaters. each theater has 8 adults, and an unknown number of children, x. there are a total of 60 people. how many children are in each theater? start by choosing the strip diagram that represents this situation. the first strip diagram: total 60, each part is 8 - x, 5 parts, 1 theater is 8 - x. the second strip diagram: total 60, each part is 8 + x, 5 parts, 1 theater is 8 + x.

Explanation:

Step1: Select correct strip diagram

Each theater has $8 + x$ people (8 adults + $x$ children), so 5 theaters have $5(8+x)$ total people, matching the bottom diagram.

Step2: Set up total people equation

$$5(8 + x) = 60$$

Step3: Isolate the parenthetical term

Divide both sides by 5:
$$\frac{5(8 + x)}{5} = \frac{60}{5}$$
$$8 + x = 12$$

Step4: Solve for $x$

Subtract 8 from both sides:
$$x = 12 - 8$$
$$x = 4$$

Answer:

First, the correct strip diagram is the bottom one (showing $8+x$ per theater). The number of children in each theater is 4.