16Hit1600
AlgebraHardWhen two batteries show the same charge

Algebra practice question

Phone A's battery is at 80% and loses 10 percentage points per hour. Phone B's battery is at 50% and loses 4 percentage points per hour. After how many hours will the two batteries show the same charge?

Answer: 5

80 − 10t = 50 − 4t gives 30 = 6t, so t = 5.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 3
3 divides 30 by 10, ignoring phone B's drain.
If you answered 30
30 is the difference in starting charge, not the time.
If you answered 2.14
2.14 divides 30 by 14, adding the rates instead of subtracting.

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