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Willie left home with a bunch of flowers for Suzabelle. Halfway to her house, he sneezed very hard and knocked the petals off 2/3 of them. He threw away the petal-less ones and hastily went home and added 4 more  to the remaining bunch. Opening the gate to her front yard he dropped 4/5 of the flowers he was carrying into a mud puddle. So he picked three flowers from Suzabelle's mother's prize gladiola patch and rang the doorbell. "How lovely", said Suzabelle. "Now I'll have a dozen flowers--I only had 5 before." How many did Willie set out with the first time?

 Jul 16, 2021

Best Answer 

 #1
avatar+313 
+2

Let the initial number of flowers that Willie set out with be x.

When he sneezed, he knocked off the petals of 2/3 of x and he threw away the petal-less ones. So the remaining number of flowers with him now is x-2/3x = 1/3x

He then added 4 more to the remaining. So the number of flowers with him now is 1/3x + 4 = (x+12)/3

On his way, he dropped 4/5th of what he had into a mud puddle. Which is 4/5((x+12)/3)

= (4x + 48)/15

The number of flowers left with him will be 

(x+12)/3 - (4x+48)/15 = (x + 12)/15

He then picked up 3 flowers from Suzabelle's mother's garden. The number of flowers he now has 

= (x + 12)/15 + 3

Suzabelle said she will now have a dozen (12) flowers, before she only had 5. So now she got 12-5=7 flowers from Willie.

Which implies  :

(x + 12)/15 + 3 = 7

On solving for x, we get x = 48.

Thus, Willie set out with 48 flowers the first time. 

 Jul 16, 2021
 #1
avatar+313 
+2
Best Answer

Let the initial number of flowers that Willie set out with be x.

When he sneezed, he knocked off the petals of 2/3 of x and he threw away the petal-less ones. So the remaining number of flowers with him now is x-2/3x = 1/3x

He then added 4 more to the remaining. So the number of flowers with him now is 1/3x + 4 = (x+12)/3

On his way, he dropped 4/5th of what he had into a mud puddle. Which is 4/5((x+12)/3)

= (4x + 48)/15

The number of flowers left with him will be 

(x+12)/3 - (4x+48)/15 = (x + 12)/15

He then picked up 3 flowers from Suzabelle's mother's garden. The number of flowers he now has 

= (x + 12)/15 + 3

Suzabelle said she will now have a dozen (12) flowers, before she only had 5. So now she got 12-5=7 flowers from Willie.

Which implies  :

(x + 12)/15 + 3 = 7

On solving for x, we get x = 48.

Thus, Willie set out with 48 flowers the first time. 

apsiganocj Jul 16, 2021

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