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AlgebraEasyExpression for water left in a draining tank

Algebra practice question

A tank holds 500 litres of water and drains at 20 litres per minute. Which expression gives the number of litres left after m minutes?

  1. A. 500 − 20mCorrect
  2. B. 500 + 20m
  3. C. 20m − 500
  4. D. 480m

Answer: A. 500 − 20m

Start at 500 and subtract 20 for each minute.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. 500 + 20m
This fills the tank instead of draining it.
C. 20m − 500
This starts at −500.
D. 480m
This multiplies by 480 each minute.

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