Jill's bank account has j dollars. Marcy's bank account has 5 times what Jill's bank account has and 1/3 of what Sarah's bank account has. How much more is in Sarah's bank account than is in Jill's bank account, in terms of j?
A. 10j
B. 14j
C. 15j
D. (2/5)j
E. (1/5)j
Answer
Assign letters to the bank account of each woman: Jill = j. Marcy = m. Sarah = s.
Now create equations based on the information given: m = 5j (Marcy has 5 times what Jill has). m = (1/3)s (Marcy has 1/3 of what Sarah has). Combine the two equations and simplify: 5j = m = (1/3)s. 5j = (1/3)s. 15j = s. Sarah has 15j dollars in her account so subtract j (Jill's bank account) from 15j and you get 14j.
Correct Answer - Choice B