Question

Maximum Weight on a Boat In $2004$, a water taxi sank in Baltimore harbor and five people drowned. The water taxi had a maximum capacity of $3,500$pounds ($25$people with average weight $140$pounds). The average weight of the $25$people on the water taxi when it sank was $168$pounds per person. What should the maximum number of people of this weight have been?

Short answer

The maximum number of people safely ride the water taxi is $20$.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1. Given Information 

We are given that the maximum capacity of water taxi is $3,500$and the average weight of the $25$people on the water taxi when it sank was $168$pounds per person.

We have to find the maximum number of people ride safely.

Step 2. Forming the inequality 

Let xbe the maximum number of people ride safely,

The maximum capacity of water taxi is $3500$,

so the inequality will be,

$168x\le 3500$

Step 3. Solving the Inequality  

Dividing by $168$, we get

$$\begin{gathered} 168x\le 3500 \\ x\le \frac{3500}{168} \\ x\le 20.83 \end{gathered}$$

The number of people must be a whole number, so

$x=20$

Hence, the maximum number of people safely ride the water taxi is $20$.