The ratio of the number of pencils to the number of erasers in a box was 3 : 4 at first. After adding 12 pencils and removing 15 erasers from the box, the ratio of the number of pencils to the number of erasers became 1 : 1. How many erasers were there in the box at the end?
Given :
Intially ratio of pencil to eraser in a box = 3:4
After adding 12 pencils and removing 15 erasers it became 1:1.
To find :
How many eraser in the box ?
Given that the ratio of pencil to eraser is 3 : 4 .
If there is initially x pencils and y erasers ,
So, we can write
x/y = 3/4
Or y = 4x/3
And if we add 12 more pencils and remove 15 erasers then the ratio will be 1 : 1,
So, we can write
(x + 12) / (y - 15) = 1/1
x + 12 = y - 15
Now, put the value of y
x + 12 = 4x/3 - 15
4x/3 - x = 15 + 12.
x/3 = 27
x = 81.
Now y will be
y = 4x/3
y = 108
But it is the Intial values of x and y.
The number of erasers at the end will be
= y - 15
= 108 - 15
= 93
The number of erasers in the box at the end is 93.
$p = \frac{3}{4} e$
$p + 12 = e - 15$
$p = e-27$
$\frac{3}{4}e = e - 27$
$\frac{1}{4}e = \frac{1}{3}e - 9$
$e = \frac{4}{3}e - 36$
$\frac{1}{3}e = 36$
$e = 108$
$e-15 = 108 \Rightarrow e = \boxed{93}$