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

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

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

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.