The two largest oil spills together released 301 million gallons of oil into the oceans. The smaller of the two released 73 million gallons less than the larger of the two. How many million gallons did
The larger one release?
A)228 million gal
B)114 million gal
C)130 million gal
D)187 million gal

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Let the amount of oil released by the larger spill be x million gallons. Therefore, the smaller spill released (x - 73) million gallons. According to the problem, the total oil released by both spills is 301 million gallons. So, we have the equation: x + (x - 73) = 301. Solving this equation for x gives us the amount released by the larger spill, which is 187 million gallons.

The Two Largest Oil Spills Together Released 301 Million Gallons