A.2.9.2 Cargo Shipping

An automobile manufacturer is preparing a shipment of cars and trucks on a cargo ship that can carry 21,600 tons. The cars weigh 3.6 tons each and the trucks weigh 7.5 tons each. Write an equation that represents the weight constraint of a shipment. Let c be the number of cars and t be the number of trucks. 

For one shipment, trucks are loaded first and cars are loaded afterwards. (Even though trucks are bulkier than cars, a shipment can consist of all trucks as long as it is within the weight limit.) Find the number of cars that can be shipped if the cargo already has: a. 480 trucks b. 1,500 trucks  c. 2,736 trucks d. t trucks

For a different shipment, cars are loaded first, and then trucks are loaded afterwards. a. Write an equation you could enter into a calculator or a spreadsheet tool to find the number of trucks that can be shipped if the number of cars is known. b. Use your equation and a calculator or a computer to find the number of trucks that can be shipped if the cargo already has 1,000 cars. What if the cargo already has 4,250 cars?