If Bob has three times as many baseball cards as Bill and together they have a total of 68 cards how many cards does Bob have?

This can be solved algebraically.

Set the variable x as the number of cards Bob has.

Then express the number of cards that Bill has, in terms of x (Bob's cards).

Bob = x

Bill = only 1/3 as many as Bob

Their total is 68.

So x + (1/3 x) = 68

4/3 x = 68

Multiply both sides by 3.

4x = 204

and x =51 and 1/3 x = 17

So Bob has 51 cards and Bill has a third as many, or 17, for a total of 68.