Math problem

[grlpwrd]

I was working with my dd on a math problem and we got different answers ranging from $17.77 to over $50. lol

Please tell me what you got and how...

Wendy spent 3/8 of the money at the first store she visited. She then spent 3/4 of her remaining money at the second store. If Wendy had $20 left, how much money did she start with?

Thank you. Figuring it out on my own I set it as an algebra equation with fractions then factored it into $. I'm not doing the work for her, just trying to see if I know what I am doing.

 

[georgina]

That should be fairly straight forward...$20 was 1/4 of her money at the second place, so she had $80 there...which was 5/8 of the money she started with, so 80x8/5 is $128.

Working the other way, she started with $128, spent $48 at the first store, leaving her $80, and she spent $60 at the second store.

 

[hlbtimes2]

NOt sure what the answer is, but its not $17.77 ! There is no way you could start with $17, spend some and have $20 left......

I'm thinking its something over $80. If you spent 3/4 of $80, you would have $20 left, right?

 

[Sparx]

ok. I'm gonna try this. if 1/4 is 20, then 3/4 should be 60, so 4/4 is 80. she had 80 dollars remaining at the second step of the problem. Am I even close to the right track here?

 

[Sparx]

Ok. I think I've got the answer. she started with $213.34.

Here is how I did it.

213.34/8=26.66
26.66x3=80
80/4=20

ETA--I'm such a geek. lol

 

[Charade]

Ok. I think I've got the answer. she started with $213.34.

Here is how I did it.

213.34/8=26.66
26.66x3=80
80/4=20

ETA--I'm such a geek. lol

Nope. Georgina got it.

 

[Sparx]

Nope. Georgina got it.

ok. reciprocal bane of my existance.

 

[grlpwrd]

Thanks, everyone. WTG, georgina... $128 is what my dd figured, too - not me.

This problem was challenging...

 

[georgina]

I'm one of those weird people who like math - been a SAHM for 16 years, but you never lose that engineering geek inside of you!

 

[Fishbone†]

Yep - $128.