PROBLEMS INVOLVING NUMBERS

PROBLEM 1

Some birds were flying and met a bird on their way. The bird greeted them; hello hundred! They said we
are not hundred; we need half of us plus you to make us hundred. How many birds were flying?

Possible answers:

A. 198

B. 49

C. 66

D. 51

E. 101

F. 199

Show me the answer.

SOLUTION

Let the number of birds be x

Then half the number of birds will be

Then, x + + 1 = 100

2x + x + 2 = 200 (Multiply both sides by 2)

2x + x = 200 – 2 (Transfer numerals to RHS)

3x = 198 (Collect like terms)

x = 66 (Divide throughout by 3)

Therefore, the correct answer is C

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 PROBLEMS INVOLVING NUMBERS
PROBLEM 2

A master and his servant went to the forest to hunt birds and hares.

After killing a number of birds and hares, the master asked the servant:

“How many birds and hares do you count?”

The servant replied: “I count six heads and sixteen legs.”

How many birds and hares were killed?

SOLUTION

METHOD 1

Let the number of birds be x

Then the number of hares will be (6 – x)

(A the total number of heads is six, it means that there are 6 animals)

Therefore,

2x+ 4(6 – x) = 16 (A bird has 2 legs and a hare has 4 legs)

2x + 24 – 4x = 16 (Remove brackets)

2x – 4x = 16 – 24 (Take numerals to RHS)

-2x = - 8 (Collect like terms)

x=4 (Divide throughout by -2)

(6 – x ) = 6 – 4

=2

Therefore, 4 birds and 2 hares were killed

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 PROBLEMS INVOLVING NUMBERS
SOLUTION

METHOD 2

Let the number of birds be x ; and

The number of hares be y

Therefore, x+ y = 6 ……….(1)

(There are six animals)

2x + 4y = 16 ……….(2)

(A bird has 2 legs and a hare has 4 legs and there are 16 legs altogethe

x+ 2y = 8 ……….(3)

(Divide throughout by 2)

(3)-(1): y=2 ……….(4)

Substitute y = 2 from (4) in (1):

x+2=6

Therefore, x=4

Therefore, 4 birds and 2 hares were killed

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 PROBLEMS INVOLVING NUMBERS
PROBLEM 3

A man has a pile of wood to chop which will give him six hours’ work. After chopping for two hours, he
gets the help of a boy and together, they finish in another two hours. How long would it take the boy
alone to chop the pile of wood?

Possible answers:

A. 5 hours

B. 8 hours

C. 9 hours

D. 11 hours

E. 12 hours

F. 18 hours

Show me the answer.

SOLUTION

Let the boy finish chopping a pile of wood in x hours,

Therefore in 1 hour, he would have chopped

In 6 hours, a man finishes chopping a pile of wood.

Therefore in 1 hour, would have chopped

But in 2 hours, the man has finished

So the outstanding portion of wood to be chopped is

Together in 3 hours, the man and the boy: 3( + ) =

Multiply throughout by 6x: Therefore, 18 + 3x = 4x

Therefore x = 18

Therefore it would have taken the boy 18 hours to finish chopping a pile of wood. Option F is the
correct answer.

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 PROBLEMS INVOLVING NUMBERS
EXERCISES

1. A trade union for domestic workers, farm labourers and catering staff has 35 000 members. The
number of catering staff exceeds the number of farm labourers by 3 000. There are half as many
domestic workers as catering staff. Calculate the number of farm labourers who belong to this
union.

2. A furniture dealer knows that she has 36 tables in her storeroom. Some tables have four legs
and some have three legs, but she does not know how many of each kind. The tables are stored
in such a way that it is easier to count the legs. She counts 124 legs. How many four-legged
tables are there?

3. The Engineering Faculty at a university admits 84 new students at the beginning of each year. If
three is added to the number of male students, then the number of female students is double
this number. Calculate how many male and how many female students are admitted.

4. One pipe can fill a tank in an hour, another can fill it in half an hour, and a third can fill it in 20
minutes. How long will the three pipes take to fill the tank if they are being used at the same
time?

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