Answer:
2 letters.
Step-by-step explanation:
Consider the number of bills as x.
Since they recieve "5 more ads than bills" ads is x+5.
And since they recieved "three more bills than magazines," magazines is x-3.
And since they recieved the same number of magazines and letters, letters is also x-3.
bills=x
ads=x+5
magazines=x-3
letters=x-3.
19 pieces of mail = bills +ads + magazines + letters
plug in the information: 19 = x + (x+5) + (x-3) + (x-3)
group the x's and add the numbers: 19 = 4x -1
solve for x: x=5
We are still not done since x is the number of bills, not letters.
Plug the value of x into "letters = bills-3."
so...
Letters = 5 - 3
Letters = 2.
