4 Semira’s puppy weighs 12.4 pounds and is growing at a rate of 0.8 pound per week. Cedric’s puppy weighs 9.2 pounds and is growing at a rate of 1.2 pounds per week. Let represent the time in weeks and represent the weight of the puppy in pounds. Which system of equations can Semira and Cedric use to determine after how many weeks their puppies will weigh the same?
(A)
(B)
©
(D)

Alright, let’s have some fun with this puppy growth problem! To figure out when Semira’s puppy (growing at 0.8 pounds per week from an initial weight of 12.4 pounds) and Cedric’s puppy (growing at 1.2 pounds per week from an initial weight of 9.2 pounds) will weigh the same, we want to set up equations based on their growth rates over time. Choice (A) gives us the correct equations: for Semira and for Cedric.

Now imagine this - weeks fly by, and before you know it, you’ve got two hefty pups vying for the same weight! Once you plot those lines on a graph, where they intersect gives you the magic week when they weigh the same! It’s a little suspenseful doggy drama unfolding right before your very eyes!