Finding the mass of a screw lab.

[jayjay713]

I have been given the masses of 5 cups, each with a different amount of screws inside. I am asked to find the mass of a single screw.

The cups themselves are all equal in mass and the screws are all equal in mass as well.

I know you are supposed to subtract the cups from each other to eliminate the mass of the cups and just get the screws masses. I am stuck and I can't seem to grasp the concept of how to solve this! Thanks for help.

 

[arpeggio]

set the mass of one cup to x and mass of one screw to y
and solve for x and y using quadratic equation/elimination method/substitution method

 

[jayjay713]

would all the equations be equal to the same value? say a cup was 26.7 grams, what would the equation be?

 

[arpeggio]

you would have to give me all the info in the question for me to make an equation

 

[jayjay713]

bottle 1 = 28.70g
bottle 2 = 32.20g
bottle 3 = 37.60g
bottle 4 = 45.80g
bottle 5 = 60.50g

 

[arpeggio]

I am sorry but I can't really come up with an answer
It would just have infinite solutions with those assumptions you gave me

all I can say is that subtract the masses to get rid of the mass of cup, and find the common factor (but then it is a decimal in this case)
the mass of screw cannot be bigger than the common factor