Math Problem

[Basil]

Billy and Ann both have a pencil box.
Ann has five times as many pencils in her box as Billy
Ann gives Billy 76 of her pencils so now they have the same number of pencils

Q: How many pencils did Billy have at the end?

 

[AngliaGT]

A lot?

 

[Basil]

A lot?

That's close

 

[DrEntropy]

"Assuming" one "lot" is seventy-six, I think we're all good here.

 

[Hamish Racing]

Knowing billy ——— all of them.

 

[Bayless]

I know but I'm not telling.

 

[BobHaskell]

Billy and Ann both have a pencil box.
Ann has five times as many pencils in her box as Billy
Ann gives Billy 76 of her pencils so now they have the same number of pencils

Q: How many pencils did Billy have at the end?

114. Ann started out with 190 and Bill started out with 38. Pretty big pencil boxes.

 

[DrEntropy]

I don't claim to be smarter than a fifth-grader, but boiling it down to 5X=Y-76, it's a trick...

EDIT: Oops. 5X+76...

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Had to resurrect my algebra, but I got it!

 

[BobHaskell]

I don't claim to be smarter than a fifth-grader, but boiling it down to 5X=X-76, it's a trick...

Ann = 5 * Billy (initial)
Ann - 76 = Billy + 76 (final)

 

[DrEntropy]

Ann = 5 * Billy (initial)
Ann - 76 = Billy + 76 (final)

Edited that as you were explaining. Sorry!

 

[DrEntropy]

Would it not also work with Billy with an empty box, as in: 5*0 and Ann with 152?

EDIT: "Ann has five times as many pencils in her box as Billy"

nevermind...

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Would it not also work with Billy with an empty box, as in: 5*0 and Ann with 152?

Not if Ann originally had five times as many as Billy.

 

[Basil]

"Assuming" one "lot" is seventy-six, I think we're all good here.

Nope. Re-read the question

 

[Basil]

114. Ann started out with 190 and Bill started out with 38. Pretty big pencil boxes.

Bingo.

 

[Basil]

Had to resurrect my algebra, but I got it!

So did Bob. Did you get the same?

 

[Mickey Richaud]

So did Bob. Did you get the same?

Yep, but not until after I went down the same rabbit hole Doc did! (Great minds and all that, you understand... )

 

[DrEntropy]

Nope. Re-read the question

Yeah, Went off th' rails.

Yep, but not until after I went down the same rabbit hole Doc did! (Great minds and all that, you understand... )

Always lookin' for the answer to what looks like a trick question...

 

[bobhustead]

In the words of Roman Moronie, "That's a fargin trick question".
Bob

 

[AngliaGT]

I forgot to figure in the other part of the equation -
If Ann left Edgewood,NM at 5 AM doing 60 mph,and Billy
left Fletcher,OK at 6 AM doing 55 mph.........