Help with math problem ?

On earth day Jackie , Jake , and John  went to clean a park.  

Jake collected 1/3 as much trash as Jackie.  

John collected twice as much as Jake.  

John collected 12 pieces of trash more than Jake.  

Jackie = 3 Jake

John = 2 Jake

John = Jake + 12 

Jake = 12 

2Jake = Jake + 12 

Jake = 12  

Jackie collected 36 pieces of trash.

On earth day Jackie (a), Jake (b), and John (c) went to clean a park.

Jake collected 1/3 as much trash as Jackie.

John collected twice as much as Jake.

John collected 12 pieces of trash more than Jake.

a = 3b, c = 2b, c = b + 12

b = 12

2b = b + 12

b = 12

Jackie collected 36 pieces of trash.

Jackie= x, Jake= y and John= z

y= (1/3)x, z= 2y= y + 12

y= 12, z= 24, x= 36

Jackie = a, Jake = b,  and John = c

 b = a/3

 c = 2a

 c = 12 + b

=================

2a = 12 + a/3

5a/3 = 12

  a = 36/5  ... or 7.2 pieces of trash

Let's use j for Jake's amount.  (Notice how everyone is compared to Jake?  Jake's the man!)

So Jake's amount = j

Jackie = 3j

John = 2j

and John = j+12

So first let's figure out what j is.

2j = j+12

Now subtract j from each side and you get

j = 12

Jake collected 1/3 as much as Jackie.  Turn that around and Jackie collected 3 time as much as Jake.  And we know Jake got 12 pieces, that means Jackie collected 3 * 12 or 36 pieces.

(Jake collected the least!  What a lazy bum!  We won't invite him next time.)