ETA: Well, never mind - I figured it out, so this question is unnecessary now. I'd erase it if I could, but I hate blank posts (they leave people wondering) - so here is my original question. Take a stab at it if you're feeling like a brain teaser, and maybe there's more than one way to solve it.
Original:
I love math. I don't typically struggle. But this came up in a workbook today and it's killing me that I keep coming up with the wrong answer. Someone show me how to do this please?
Mrs. Carlyle bought a bag of peanuts for her children. When Phillip, Joy, Brent and Preston came home from school, they each took some peanuts from the bag.
Phillip took 1/3 of the peanuts from the bag.
Joy took 1/4 of the remaining peanuts
Brent took 1/2 of the remaining peanuts
Preston took 10 peanuts
There were 71 peanuts remaining in the bag.
1) How many peanuts were originally in the bag?
2) How many peanuts did each child take?
I can get the second if I get the first. But it's making me mad that I'm doing something wrong, and my daughter struggles with math already - this is supposed to give good practice, not frustrate her further. Anyone?
Thanks!
Hell on Heels - that's what I did, except for 1/2*1/2 - Why is it that? Your answers are correct. But I finally had to draw a pie with 12 parts and convert the fractions. It's the word "remaining" that was tripping me up. I ended up with 1/3x + 1/4(2/3x) + 1/2(5/6x) + 81 = x (which clearly was wrong, because I ended up asking here). I totally see where you are going except for where you have 1/2*1/2.
AHHHH never mind - 1/3 x + 1/6 x = 3/6 x (which leaves 1/2 x) Got it! Thanks!
And THAT'S why I love math. I'm a geek. That was fun!
ETA: This is from a summer bridge book for going from 6th to 7th. The book is supposed to be based on common core standards.
Eta:suz t wins the internet today!
I get the same. Each kid takes what remains from the previous guy.
T - (Ph + J + B + Pr) = 71
T - (T/3 + (1/4)(2T/3) + (1/2)((3/4)(T-T/3)) + 10) = 71
T - T/3 - T/6 - T/4 -10 = 71
T/4 = 81 --> T = 324, where T = total; Ph = Phillip; J = Joy; B = Brent; Pr = Preston
Thanks for the mental exercise. I needed the break.
My BRAIN HURTS!!
And I now want peanuts dammit!
**ETA***
If the mom had been SMART...she would have divided the damn peanuts into equal portions in advance***
lol
Dude.
It's summer.
No math til September here! Lol
i would rather roll in my own puke that try to work through a problem like this!
:O
khairete
S.
I HATE math. Just reading your answers is giving me a headache. I can't even figure out the answer, let alone how you get there! Kudos to all you math wizzards!
Curious what grade your daughter is in... I wonder sometimes what other kids in other states etc do in math. Mine is in 4th grade. So would you post? Thanks!
ETA - thanks for follow up! Glad it wasn't for a 4th grader :)
1) 324 peanuts
2) Phillip = 108
Joy = 54
Brent = 81
Preston = 10
Remaining = 71
Here's how I got the answer:
Phillip = 1/3P
Joy = 1/4(2/3P) = 1/6P
Brent = 1/2(1/2P) = 1/4P
Preston = 10 peanuts
Bag = 71 peanuts
Therefore, 1/3P + 1/6P + 1/4P + 10 +71 = P
So, 3/4P + 81 = P
81 = 1/4P
324 = P
ETA: the 1/2 of 1/2 is because he took 1/2 of what was left, which would be 1 - (1/3 +1/6) = 1/2
I got the same at Hell On Hells - yay!
This question was fun. I solve these things backward - I don't understand the fractions anymore!! I really admire you guys who do.
71 left
+10=81 before Preston took his share
/.5 = 162 when Brent dug in
/.75 = 216 before Joy took hers
/(2/3) = 324 before Phillip took his
I can agree with the answer of 324 now. But not because I could figure it out.
I sent this to my DIL and asked her to send it to her sister, who is a high school math teacher. (She is a math teacher because, when she was a kid, she ended up with a dud for a teacher, thought, "Hey, I can teach math better than this," and went off to college to learn how.)
Her reply: "Thanks, this was fun. There were 324 total peanuts. Phillip took 108, Joy took 54, and Brent took 81. This was more math than I thought I'd do all summer."
Here's my backwards math lol
1)313 peanuts ugh she^ is right it's 324
2)Ph= x/3= 108
J = (Ph*2)/4 =54
B= (J*3)/2 =81
Pr=10
