Answer :
Given:
The given quantity of gasoline is Q = 40 gallons.
The big container can hold 5 gallons less than twice the small container.
The objective is to find the number of gallons of each container.
Explanation:
Consider the smaller container as S and the larger container as L.
The total quantity of containers can be represented as,
[tex]S+L=40\text{ . . . . . . .(1)}[/tex]Since the big container can hold 5 gallons less than twice the small container (2S), then the big container L can be represented as,
[tex]L=2s-5\text{ . .. . . .(2)}[/tex]To find S:
Substitute the equation (2) in (1).
[tex]\begin{gathered} S+2S-5=40 \\ 3S=40+5 \\ 3S=45 \\ S=\frac{45}{3} \\ S=15\text{ gallons} \end{gathered}[/tex]To find L:
Substitute the value of S in equation (1).
[tex]\begin{gathered} 15+L=40 \\ L=40-15 \\ L=25 \end{gathered}[/tex]Hence, the small container can hold 15 gallons of gasoline and the large container can hold 25 gallons of gasoline.