Answer:
When solved for x, the runner-up ate 2x + 2 = 18
Step-by-step explanation:
Dave won by eating 18 hot dogs
He ate two more than twice the amount of the runner-up.
Suppose the runner-up ate x-hot dogs.
That means Dave ate two more than twice of x. This can be written as
Twice of x is 2x
And two more than twice of x is 2x + 2.
So, Dave ate (2x + 2) hot dogs.
Since we already know that Dave ate 18, we can say
2x + 2 = 18
2x = 16
x = 8