Betty, Cathy, Isabel, Lani, Alma, and Ursula ran an 800 meter race. Alma beat isreal by 7 meters. Ursula beat betty 12 meters. Alma finished 5 meters ahead of Lani but 3 meters behind Ursala. Cathy finished halfway between the first and last girls. In what order did the girls finish? What werre the distance between the girls?
>>...Alma beat Isabel by 7 meters...<<
Indicate that with:
A I
01234567
>>...Ursula beat betty 12 meters...<<
Indicate that with:
U B
0123456789012
>>...Alma finished 5 meters ahead of Lani...<<
Indicate that with:
A L
012345
>>...but (Alma finished) 3 meters behind Ursala...<<
Indicate that with this:
U A
0123
--------------------
Now redraw them lining up the like letters vertically
A I
01234567
U A
0123
U B
0123456789012
A L
012345
--------------- Now bring them all down together, keeping the
letters lined up vertically :
U A L I B
0123456789012
Cathy finished halfway between the first and last girls.
So we put C in the middle:
U A C L I B
0123456789012
So Ursula won and finished 3 meters ahead of Alma,
who finished 3 meters ahead of Cathy,
who finished 2 meters ahead of Lani,
who finished 2 meters ahead of Isabel,
who finished 2 meters ahead of Betty, who finished last.
Edwin