Earl worked 18 hours last week. If he had earned $2.00 an hour more but had worked only 15 hours, he would have earned the same amount. How much per hour does Earl earn? * A) $5.00 B) $10.00 C) $12.00 D) $15.00

Step-by-step explanation:

x - Earl's earnings per hour

The equation:

18x = 15(x + 2)         use the distributive property

18x = (15)(x) + (15)(2)

18x = 15x + 30        subtract 15x from both sides

18x - 15x = 15x - 15x + 30

3x = 30        divide both sides by 3

3x : 3 = 30 : 3

x = 10